Here are my endorsements for the at-large City Council election tomorrow:
- Gary Sandberg — Gary does his homework, asks the hard questions, and votes consistently in favor of essential services first. He’s chosen to live on a section of Bigelow street most wouldn’t want to drive through, let alone take up residence, which shows he’s not afraid to practice what he preaches and keeps him keenly aware of the challenges facing older neighborhoods, from crime to code enforcement to sidewalk maintenance. He appears to have an immunity to groupthink. And the Journal Star hates him, so you know he must be doing something right. If you’re unsure about anyone else, you can’t go wrong voting for Gary.
- George Jacob — George was appointed to finish out Jim Ardis’s at-large term when Ardis became mayor. I was dubious about his appointment, but George has won me over. He’s not afraid to get down in the trenches, so to speak, going out on police patrols and spending evenings at residents’ houses in areas prone to crime. His liquor license doesn’t appear to have hampered his ability to be a constructive member of the council.
- Dan Irving — Dan is currently on the city’s liquor commission. He grew up on a farm in Hanna City and now works for Lincoln Office. I met him recently for coffee and got to ask him quite a few questions about his philosophy on city issues. His views remind me a lot of Bob Manning’s. On issues ranging from TIFs to the Heart of Peoria Plan to city assistance for District 150 and other issues, Dan seemed to me to be informed, level-headed, and realistic in his approach.
Only three? Yes, only three I feel comfortable unreservedly endorsing.
However, there are other candidates that are worth further consideration (maybe we can consider this a “qualified” endorsement): Brad Carter, Dan Gillette, Patti Polk, and Charles Schierer. With the exception of Polk, I’ve spent a fair amount of time talking to these candidates, but only about one or two issues. After reading their answers to the Chamber of Commerce’s and Journal Star’s questionnaires, I have some further questions. Polk’s answers to the questionnaires I found to be rather vague. So hopefully, if all these candidates make it through the primary (and I hope they do), I’ll try to meet with them and get more information before I publish my General Election Endorsements.