"There's no other city in the Coachella Valley that can match our insurgency in new economic investment." Indio Mayor Glenn Miller said. "$500 million dollars in the next 18 months that's going to be invested into the city of Indio to create jobs opportunities and revenue sources and quality of life for our residents."

 

Another big announcement at Friday's State of the City address is Rural Area Medical is coming to Indio in April serving 800 patients a day giving them free medical, dental and vision care.

 

Goldenvoice Producer Skip Paige was on hand for the announcement. The money maker brought in more than $250 million for the entire Coachella Valley this year. 

 

Businesses like Desert Adventures are benefiting from the economic uptick.

 

"We're doing better than we have in many years right now," Mitchell Cazier, Director of Ranch Operations at Desert Adventures said. "We've had some really good years now and we see it picking up."

 

Budget woes in years past threatened cutbacks to public safety, but the police department avoided layoffs. Now, keeping the city solvent is a high priority.

 

"It's obviously an on-going challenge to stay above water and continue to provide the services to the citizens of Indio especially the law enforcement," Ben Guitron, Public Information Officer for the Indio Police Department said. 

 

Mayor Miller says income generators like transient occupancy tax, up 32 percent, and sales tax up 16 percent helped put Indio back in the black.

 

--Adrianna Weingold

aweingold@kmir6.com