Tag Archives: 2011 Election

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

How much the candidates spent per vote

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The latest financial reports are in for the City Council race. Here are the totals, along with how much that works out to per vote (i.e., total spent divided number of votes cast for that candidate):

Candidate 7/1/10-
12/31/10		 1/1/11-
3/31/11		 Total $ Total Votes $/Vote
Chuck Weaver $9,241.18 $46,980.83 $56,222.01 14,785 $3.80
Ryan Spain $3,611.43 $40,409.68 $44,021.11 10,072 $4.37
W. Eric Turner $2,176.16 $14,470.73 $16,646.89 6,911 $2.41
Beth Akeson $0 $10,445.37 $10,445.37 6,040 $1.73
Charles V. Grayeb $0 $11,729.60 $11,729.60 5,559 $2.11

The other candidates (Gary Sandberg, Jim Stowell, André Williams, C.J. Summers, and George Azouri) did not file reports because they neither raised nor spent more than $3,000. The city council position pays $14,000 per year, or $56,000 per four-year term.

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

Please vote for me on Tuesday, April 5, and then come to the party!

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Tomorrow is the election. There are ten candidates for City Council, and the top five vote-getters will be our at-large council members for the next four years. I’m asking for your vote so that I’ll be one of those five.

Here’s my radio ad which has played the past several business days on WMBD (1470 AM), WSWT/Lite Rock 107 (106.9 FM), and WPIA/KISS-FM (98.5 FM); it explains what my priorities will be if I’m elected:

[audio:http://peoriachronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/Audio/Summers-for-Council-2011_192K.mp3]

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me, those who have already cast their vote for me during the early voting period, those who have endorsed me and given me advice, those who have put my sign in their yard, those who have encouraged their friends and family to vote for me, and all those who will be voting for me tomorrow.

You’re all invited to join me at the G.A.R. Hall, 416 Hamilton Blvd., on Tuesday night starting at 7 p.m. for an election night party. (In the spirit of consolidating services, Beth Akeson and I will be having our election night party together.) I hope you can all attend!

2011 Election

Endorsements 2011 (other than me)

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Obviously, I hope you all vote for me. But besides that, there are a couple of candidates that I also endorse for Peoria City Council: Beth Akeson and Gary Sandberg.

Beth is a former Heart of Peoria Commissioner, school board candidate, and city council candidate. She lost her bid for the third district seat two years ago by just 12 votes. But she doesn’t give up. She’s running again this year — this time as an at-large council candidate. I support Beth because I share her vision for Peoria. She’s not content with the low standard of “better than nothing,” but rather aims for excellence. She’s accessible. She does her homework–often making calls and traveling to other cities to gather first-hand information. Just as one example, when researching the East Village TIF, she not only attended the presentation of a city planner from Decatur, but then followed up by visiting Decatur to see their residential TIF for herself and asking follow-up questions of the planner there. If you’ve been to any of the candidates forums, you will have heard Beth say that she’ll be a “full time council person.” Believe it. I saw how much she poured herself into her work as a Heart of Peoria Commissioner; she’ll do the same as a City Council Member.

Gary has the same philosophy I do about the purpose of municipal government: it exists to provide basic, essential services to taxpayers in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. His votes are always consistent with that philosophy. Having been on the council for several terms, and having been a city employee before that, Gary has a lot of institutional knowledge. He too is accessible and does his homework. The criticism against Gary is that he’s often the lone “no” vote on controversial issues. I think this criticism is misplaced. Given that even his critics concede that Gary is often right on these controversial votes, a critical eye should be cast toward the other council members who mysteriously vote in concert on nearly everything, often without any public deliberation or discussion. I don’t think Gary should be held responsible for the apparent collusion of the other council members. Instead, we need to reelect Gary and replace the other council members with candidates who share a basic-services philosophy.

2011 Election

Peoria 9/12 Project candidate forum cancelled

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The candidate forum scheduled for this evening has been cancelled. The candidates received the following e-mail today:

Dear Candidates,

Tonight’s Meet the Candidates scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, 6pm, The Peoria Theater has been Canceled.

Due to lack of confirmation for participation of the audience, we are canceling tonight’s event.

“We respect your time. If we cannot guarantee good attendance, then we are reluctant to continue forward with the event.

We wish you the best in your campaign and look forward to working with you in the future.

2011 Election, Peoria Public Schools

How Debbie Wolfmeyer sees her job

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District 150 School Board president Debbie Wolfmeyer is up for reelection this year to another five-year term. You may recall that during her first term she sent a rather infamous e-mail to concerned parents.

In May 2008, Ms. Wolfmeyer told a concerned parent via e-mail, “I must respectfully decline your invitation to meet with you. It is not my role as a Board member to meet with individuals or groups. None of us as an individual Board member has any authority. Our authority comes as we work as a body. Also, I am not an educator. Therefore, it is important that any ideas, solutions, etc that are presented go through the administration so that they can assess them and report to us.”

At the Uplands candidate forum Thursday night, I asked Wolfmeyer if she would be accessible to her constituents were she to be reelected, and if she saw her role as representing her constituents to the administration, or vice versa.

Wolfmeyer said, first of all, that even though she’s elected from the second school board district, she sees her role as representing the whole school district (meaning all of District 150, not just the second board district), and specifically the children of the whole school district. Secondly, she said she will not “negotiate” with parents or constituents because she’s only one board member and cannot make any decisions unilaterally. She’s willing to sit down and listen to the concerns of her constituents, but in the end, she has to do what’s in the best interests of the children. I mentioned that many of these constituents of whom she spoke are parents who also have the best interests of their children in mind. Wolfmeyer said yes, but there are always parents and other constituents on both sides of an issue.

It doesn’t sound to me like Ms. Wolfmeyer’s views have changed significantly over the past three years. But second board district voters who disagree with her views don’t have many alternatives this election. Wolfmeyer’s only opponent is Mike Mitchell, whose appearances at recent candidate forums do not inspire confidence in his ability to do the job. He is a pleasant and sincere person, but doesn’t display an understanding of the issues facing District 150 or articulate any solution to them. He admits that he’s not a good public speaker, but invites everyone to sit down with him over a beer to discuss his ideas about District 150. I can only presume that he means he’s better able to communicate in a casual setting, not that his views make more sense when heard under the influence of alcohol.

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

Upcoming Council candidate forums

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Here are some upcoming Peoria City Council candidate forums:

  • March 14 (Mon.) @ 7:00 p.m.: Central Bluff Neighborhood Association candidates forum, Lippman Community Center, 2514 N. Sheridan Rd.
  • March 16 (Wed.) @ 6:00 p.m.: Peoria 9/12 Project candidates forum, Peoria Theatre, 3225 North Dries Lane
  • March 19 (Sat.) @ 9:00 a.m.: League of Women Voters candidates forum, Methodist North at Allen Road (community room), 2338 W. SUD Parkway
  • March 21 (Mon.) @ 6:00 p.m.: NAACP candidates forum, Ward Chapel AME, 511 North Richard Allen Dr.
  • March 24 (Thu.) @ 7:00 p.m.: Central Illinois Landmark Foundation (CILF) candidates forum, G.A.R. Hall, 416 Hamilton Blvd.

Come on out and meet the candidates, hear all our speeches, and ask us your questions! The future of Peoria is in your hands.

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

Guest Editorial: Mind Over Matter

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Editor’s Note: The following editorial was written and submitted by Frederick E. Smith, a resident of the East Bluff. Fred has recently started his own blog called Take Back Peoria. The views expressed by guest contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor.

Yeah, apparently the old puns are the best ones. The City Council of Peoria apparently thinks so. Last night, amid a select few voices that chose to once again offer the opinion that moving Big Al’s in such close proximity to Myah’s Day Care, CityLink Bus Depot, Peoria Rescue Mission, and the Box Office of the Peoria Civic Center was an unsound idea, the City Council voted to allow a city parking lot to be sold to the owner of Big Al’s for the bargain basement price of $7.00 a square foot. Interesting, since Councilman Sandberg (the sole opponent and the only member of the Council who seems concerned with the desires of the people who elected him) pointed out that it cost the City of Peoria $8.00 a square foot to build the parking lot.

This Council is, with the sole exception of Mr. Sandberg, totally indifferent to the needs and desires of their community, opting instead to do things “For our own Good”. Funny how that kind of thinking always seems to get people in trouble. Manzinar was “for their own good”, or at least that is what we told the Japanese Americans during the second World War. Segregation of Blacks and Whites in the Southern United States and Apartheid in South Africa were “for their own good.” Here in Peoria, it seems, we citizens, taxpayers, and VOTERS are no more than children, who need to have things done FOR OUR OWN GOOD!

Perhaps it is time for us poor, simple, small town folks to wake up and smell the indifference and the corruption. Do you really believe that no one is making anything on the side for this sweetheart deal? Do you really believe that the Councilpersons at Large (with the exception of Mr. Sandberg, who continues to rail against the corruption and the greed) care about what is best for Peoria? This latest decision, like so many to date, is about money, pure and simple. It is another statement by the City Council that says, “WE DON’T MIND, ‘CAUSE YOU DON’T MATTER.” to the people of Peoria.

So what do we do about it? How about we choose to say WE MATTER with our votes on April 5th. There are several candidates who are NOT a part of the political network, candidates like C. J. Summers, George Azouri, Beth Akeson, Chuck Weaver, Chuck Grayeb, and Andre Williams are all viable, honest candidates who deserve our notice and attention. Personally, I am voting for Gary Sandberg, C.J. Summers, Beth Akeson, and George Azouri. Since there is one more position left, so I will be looking to the other candidates to see what they offer. I will not be voting for Turner or Spain.

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE PEORIA, YOU NEED TO VOTE THIS ELECTION. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS, TELL YOUR PASTORS AND YOUR CO-WORKERS. YOU NEED TO VOTE AGAINST CORRUPTION, INDIFFERENCE, AND ARROGANCE. YOU NEED TO VOTE!!!

2011 Election

May I put my sign in your yard?

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Several of you have asked me about signs, and I’m happy to announce that my signs are in and now available. If you would like a sign, please e-mail (summers1202@sbcglobal.net) or call me (673-8177 or 251-8177) and let me know your address.

I’ve also put up an official campaign website at http://www.summerspeoria.com. It’s pretty plain right now, but I plan to add to it and spruce it up over the next few days. You’ll notice on the “Events” page that there are already quite a few candidate forums planned this month. If you’re interested in hearing all the candidates explain their platforms and answer questions, be sure to make it to one of these events.

Councilman Turner told me the other day that by the end of the month, each of us will be able to give all the other candidates’ speeches because we’ll have heard them so many times. He’s right. I have about half of them down already!

2011 Election, Chamber of Commerce, City Council, City of Peoria

Answers to Biz PAC’s questions

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I received a questionnaire from the new “Biz PAC” (formerly Peoria Area Chamber PAC). Here are the questions they asked, along with my answers:

What are your top three priorities if elected?
I believe city government exists for the purpose of providing basic, essential public services to residents and businesses in the fairest and most efficient manner possible. Based on those principles, my top priorities include developing a sustainable budget, improving the city’s infrastructure, and restoring faith in local government through greater transparency.

For Incumbents only: What are your top three accomplishments in your most recent term on the Council?
N/A

Please explain your position on the provision of economic development services by the City of Peoria. Discuss the options of contracting out vs. providing the services in house.
I oppose outsourcing economic development services to private organizations because it could compromise accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars. However, sharing these services with Peoria County or contracting them out to the County would be worth exploring. Economic Development tools should be used strategically and as intended. (For instance, Enterprise Zone status should be given to blighted areas that need it, not to greenfield sites that do not.)

Please explain your position on shared services between the City and other units of government. Be specific regarding the services you believe should be shared, with whom should they be shared and why.
I do believe in exploring and acting on opportunities to share or combine services with other governmental bodies when it’s to our mutual advantage. One possibility mentioned already is to share Economic Development activities. Additionally, the City and County should combine their election commissions to eliminate needless duplication. Peoria Township should be dissolved and its duties discharged by the City and/or the County; there is no good reason to have this superfluous layer of government. Other areas should be explored for possible consolidation such as planning/zoning, information technology, and human resources.

The City Council recently engaged an outside firm to assist in the reorganization process. Please provide your perspective reorganization of city government and be as specific as possible.
Since no specifics have been made public, I can only speak in generalities. It is a good idea to investigate whether greater efficiency can be gained through the reorganization of city departments. However, this should be a public debate, deliberated in open session.

The City Council has had two back to back challenging budget years. Please explain your perspective on the recently passed 2011 budget. Do you believe the structural deficit problem has been addressed? Do you support or oppose the fee/fine/tax increases passed by the Council?
Before instituting a natural gas tax, the City should have exhausted other, less regressive methods of raising revenue and lowering costs, such as instituting a packaged liquor tax and reducing/eliminating downtown parking subsidies. Acknowledging the recession’s role in our budget crisis, much of the crisis is of the Council’s own making. The predictable failure of MidTown Plaza is costing taxpayers a half million dollars a year. The City had to pay out over one million dollars to cover a very unwise loan guarantee to Firefly Energy. The City also gave away two very valuable assets for practically nothing (the $10 million Sears block sold to the County for $1 and the $2+ million Kellar Branch rail line sold to the Park District for $1). The 2011 budget crisis could have been significantly mitigated had the Council sold these assets for market value and stayed out of the venture capital business. To address the structural deficit successfully, we need to learn from (and not repeat) past mistakes.

While control of the pension systems for City of Peoria employees is outside the direct purview of the City Council, what will you do personally to work for change in this system?
I will support pension reform that provides fair and reasonable pension benefits that are affordable and sustainable for municipalities.

What do you believe is the role of the City Council members (both collectively and individually) in promoting regionalism?
I’m not sure what is meant by “regionalism” in this context. Regional cooperation among municipal organizations should be pursued as a matter of policy. However, cities should retain their own elected representatives and decision-making authority, not be subsumed into a large regional government. City Council members can promote regional cooperation by building relationships with other elected officials (collectively) and working with them on areas of mutual concern, resulting in more efficient delivery of public services.

Please tell us in 400 words or less why the business community should support your candidacy.
A basic-services platform is very business-friendly. Safe streets and improved infrastructure benefit everyone in the City. When public services and incentives are provided in a fair and equitable manner, they give businesses an even playing field and set the table for economic development. Furthermore, by limiting government to its core function, taxes can be kept low.

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

Why I’m running for Peoria City Council

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What do people want from city government? They want their streets to be plowed quickly after it snows so they can get to work on time. They want to feel safe when they go outside at night. They want the fire department to respond as quickly as possible when there’s a fire or other emergency. They want their garbage picked up, and their streets and sidewalks maintained. They want zoning and code enforcement policies that protect their property values and provide a fair and predictable investment climate for their business and residence.

In short, they want basic services delivered in an efficient and cost-effective manner. That’s the reason we have city government in the first place. That’s why we pay taxes.

I’m afraid the City Council has lost its focus. Instead of putting our tax money toward essential services first, it has opted instead to put large amounts of our tax money toward dubious investments, such as backing a loan for the ill-fated Firefly Energy and committing upwards of $40 million to build another downtown hotel, just to name a couple. Worse, it cuts these deals in secret, giving citizens no opportunity for meaningful input before they’re enacted.

This is not a recent phenomenon. Past council decisions have also compromised our ability to maintain the basic services the City is obligated to provide. MidTown Plaza alone is costing us a half million dollars a year to bail out. As a result of poor decisions such as these, in combination with the recent economic downturn, the City is looking at structural deficits and has had to cut core services each year. Our debt service already accounts for 17% of our budget, and will increase once bonds are issued for the proposed hotel.

I believe it’s time we got back to the fundamentals. We need to get our focus back on our core services — services that benefit all Peorians, not just a privileged few; services that will set the table for economic development without having to resort to developer welfare. And we need to get our focus back on the citizens of Peoria. Perfunctory public hearings have led to a dispirited and jaded public; this is not healthy for our City. Citizens should have ample opportunity for meaningful input, and that means asking for public comments as early in the policy/project development process as possible.

We need more council members who are committed to putting basic services first. And that’s why I’m running for Peoria City Council. I want to see the City focus our resources on our core services, work toward lowering our debt, and take the secrecy out of City government. This is the surest way to make the City an attractive place to live and do business.

A word about The Peoria Chronicle

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is what will happen to The Peoria Chronicle if I’m elected. I have no plans to change anything about the blog. It’s not unprecedented for elected officials to have active blogs (Merle Widmer is but one example), so I see no problem with continuing this site as is. In fact, I think it would be an asset. One of the things I love about the blog is the opportunity to discuss issues and get different points of view. The more civil discourse we can have as a community, the better.