The candidate for Ward 1 alderman: Mike Crews, challenger, and incumbent Frank Edwards.
Voters next month will elect a new Springfield City Council.
In addition to the position of mayor, city clerk and city treasurer, all 10 aldermanic seats are on the April 5 ballot.
Six races have competition of some sort, either on the ballot or via a write-in campaign. In three of those races, the current aldermen aren’t seeking re-election.
The political makeup of the officially nonpartisan council could shift as well, depending on who is elected next month. Republicans currently hold a 6-4 majority.
Using information compiled through recent interviews, forums and questionnaires, The State Journal-Register today is highlighting three of the six contested races.
The Ward 1 race pits a two-term alderman now serving temporarily as mayor against a political newcomer.
Frank Edwards, 60, says he entered the political arena years ago largely out of frustration. He said the city’s economic problems are why he wants to run again.
“It’s that drive that we can do better than what we’re doing,” he said.
Edwards’ opponent, Mike Crews, 25, is a Springfield native and teller at Marine Bank. He says he’s always been interested in government and public service.
“I just don’t want to be an elected official,” he said. “I want to be a public servant in every sense.”
Edwards says roads and drainage issues are the biggest issues facing his ward. He said the city must continue to downsize so more money is available to fix city roads. He vowed not to vote for new programs until the city starts to address infrastructure needs.
Edwards is in a unique position. He resigned as Ward 1 alderman in late December after the city council selected him to finish the term of the late Mayor Tim Davlin. Edwards then appointed Dr. Thom Shanahan to fill the Ward 1 aldermanic vacancy until after the April 5 election.
Edwards’ city budget for the fiscal year that began March 1 cut more than 50 vacant positions and delayed repaying loans. It is projected to leave the city in the black for the first time in three years.
Edwards, who was an outspoken critic of the Davlin administration, believes the city should no longer pursue construction of a second lake. He is a Republican.
Crews said decaying infrastructure and Toronto Road are the biggest issues in Ward 1, which includes Lake Springfield. He suggested creating a tax increment financing district for Toronto Road, calling it a “graveyard of past businesses.”
“We have to be proactive on these issues,” he said. “We can’t have Toronto Road turning into a MacArthur Boulevard.”
Edwards said he doesn’t think the area qualifies to become a TIF district, where tax revenue generated by development is pumped back into promoting more development. He said the reason many stores have been abandoned is that owners are asking too much money for the properties.
“Right now, we may have too many TIF districts,” Edwards said.
Crews has criticized moves Edwards has taken as mayor, including the hiring of former alderman Steven Dove as Edwards’ executive assistant and the restructuring of the city’s fire department.
If elected, he said he would hold quarterly town-hall meeting for ward residents, attend neighborhood association meetings and keep knocking on doors. He said ward residents have complained to him about Edwards’ accessibility.
Edwards said he’s not perfect, but returns about 95 percent of phone calls and e-mails and tries to regularly attend neighborhood association meetings.
Crews said the city should continue to provide free yard waste collection twice a year. Edwards said it’s time to pull the plug on the program.
Crews has voted Democratic, according to his voting history.
The seat being vacated by Ald. Frank Kunz, who is term-limited and seeking the mayor’s office, is the most sought after, based on the number of candidates, on the Springfield City Council.
Two Democrats, one Republican and an independent are vying for the officially nonpartisan seat, which represents the far east side of the city.
The candidates are Billy Earl, the Sangamon County Democratic Party’s second vice chairman; David Estes, a supervisor at Galassi Masonry in Chatham, who describes himself as an independent, although he has a Democratic voting record; Jim Gasparin, systems administrator for Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson and a Republican; and Doris Turner, a Sangamon County Board member and first vice chair of the Democratic Party.
During a recent meeting with The State Journal-Register’s editorial board, all four agreed that abandoned, boarded-up properties are a significant problem plaguing the ward. But they disagree on how to fix the problem.
Earl, who works for the state Department of Central Management Services and owns Billy’s Bar & Grill, said there should be enough city lawyers to deal with the issue. He called it a “legal nightmare” for the city to get control of the properties to tear them down.
Additional fines won’t help either, he said, because most of the owners don’t have the money to either fix up the properties or pay the fines.
“If you can work with the people that own it … maybe that’s the angle of how to get the house tore down,” he said.
Turner disagreed, saying the vast majority of owners of boarded-up properties are absentee landlords.
“We have to hold people accountable for their property,” she said.
Turner said the fee for a boarded-up property should be increased every year until “something is done,” and she said the city could use more inspectors instead of more lawyers, since the process to have a property declared a nuisance is often lengthy.
Gasparin suggested the need for a strict ordinance limiting the amount of time a property can be boarded up. After a certain period, Gasparin said, the owner would have to reapply in person and explain why it is still boarded up.
Those who don’t show up to reapply could face “heavy-duty fines” or legal action, he said.
Estes noted that these problem properties often are bought at tax sales and owned by banks.
“There’s nothing you can do to fight a bank,” he said “They have more money than the city’s got.”
Estes said any liens placed on the property will be attached to the property, and in some cases total more than the property is worth and are unattractive to potential buyers.
“It’s just a never-ending thing,” he said. “If we do tear a house down, use some TIF money, build another house there.”
Estes and Gasparin both said the city should continue free yard waste collection twice a year.
Earl said the service should be limited and Turner said that while the collections are a “nice and convenient service,” a cost analysis should be done to determine whether they’re worth it.
Incumbent Sam Cahnman faces competition from Ryan Tozer, an Illinois House Republican staff member, in Ward 5.
Cahnman, a Democrat and a lawyer who was elected to the seat in 2007, rattled off about a half-dozen ordinances he has gotten passed during his tenure — including prohibiting panhandling downtown; establishing City Water, Light and Power’s “Roundup program” to help the homeless; and prohibiting construction of any new drive-up windows at liquor stores.
“I think a lot of work still needs to be done,” he said.
Cahnman cited crime, boarded-up and dilapidated homes and infrastructure as among the biggest concerns in Ward 5, which includes downtown and Enos Park.
He said the city needs stricter ordinances on the books and that boarded-up-property fees should increase over time. That would encourage people to fix up the properties, he said, or to sell them to someone who will.
“I have a proven track record of being independent, fighting hard for my constituents and not giving up when the going gets tough,” he said.
Tozer, 28, said he became frustrated watching the goings-on at city hall and decided to run for alderman.
“I felt we lacked some credibility,” he said. “And we were not focusing on our vital services like we should.”
Tozer stresses the need for integrity, accountability and trust to be brought back to Ward 5. Cahnman doesn’t provide that, Tozer said.
“I don’t feel he represents me,” he said.
Tozer said the biggest issue facing Ward 5 is making sure vital city services — police, fire and leaf pickup — are maintained. Cahnman has said he doesn’t consider yard waste pickup a service on par with public safety.
Tozer said the city could reduce its expenses by “budgeting for results,” where program and departmental funding at the city would be based on whether established benchmarks were met.
He suggested continuing to invest in the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s Q5 initiative would bring the city more revenue.
Both Tozer and Cahnman oppose high-speed rail on the Third Street corridor.
Professional: Springfield mayor; co-owner of Springfield Welding and Autobody
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Eastern Illinois University
Political experience: Ward 1 alderman for almost eight years
Community involvement: Helped raise money for many charities, including donating his aldermanic salary for three years to Southwind Park Foundation, cooking and donating food for Cancer Drive and donated food to Child Advocacy fundraiser
Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Illinois Springfield; associate’s degree, Lincoln Land Community College
Community involvement: Citizens Club of Springfield, member; Central Illinois Food Bank volunteer
Professional: Works for Illinois Department of Central Management Services; owner of Billy’s Bar & Grill
Political experience: Served on Sangamon County Board and Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority board.
Professional: Supervisor at Galassi Masonry in Chatham
Community involvement: Coached baseball leagues, help out neighbors and on fundraisers
Personal: Wife, Lori; five children; two grandchildren
Professional: Systems administrator for Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson
Education: Attended St. James Trade School and received a four-year electronics certificate
Community involvement: Member of the Sons of the American Legion
Professional: Chief of the center for minority health services at the Illinois Department of Public Health
Education: Attended Springfield College in Illinois and Sangamon State University
Political experience: Sangamon County Board since 2000; first vice chair, Sangamon County Democratic Party; chair, Sangamon County Democratic Minority Caucus; delegate to two Democratic National Conventions
Community involvement: Quantum Growth Partnership (Q5) Diversity Development and East Springfield Development Committees; LLCC East Advisory Committee; Communities Working Together for a Cure
Personal: Husband, Cecil; three children; nine grandchildren
*Sam Cahnman, 56, 400 E. Jefferson St.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, University of Illinois; Artium Baccalaureatus in Liberal Arts with high distinction in political science, University of Illinois; Juris Doctor, cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law
Political experience: Citizen Utility Board's board of directors; McFarland Zone Center's Patient Human Rights Committee; chair of Springfield Human Relations Commission (now Community Relations Commission); elected to Sangamon County Board in 2002; elected Ward 5 alderman in 2007
Community involvement: Co-founded Citizens Utility Board. Advocate for open primary; spearheaded effort to put referendums on this on township ballots across Illinois; member of Citizens Club, Temple Israel, Springfield Road Runners Club, ICON and various neighborhood associations
Professional: Outreach coordinator for Illinois House Republicans
Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; pursuing master’s degree in public administration from University of Illinois, Springfield
Political experience: Six years on Illinois House minority leader’s staff
Community involvement: United Way volunteer, Springfield Foursquare Church
Personal: Wife, Erin; expecting first child this month
Four Springfield aldermen are seeking re-election without opposition.
The incumbents who do not face an opponent are: Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Ward 4 Ald. Frank Lesko, Ward 9 Ald. Steven Dove and Ward 10 Ald. Tim Griffin.
Voters can find their polling places, precincts, voting districts and even view a sample April 5 ballot by going online to the Sangamon County clerk’s website: http://www.sangamoncountyclerk.com .
Copyright 2011 The State Journal-Register. Some rights reserved
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment