PEORIA — At-large City Councilman Chuck Weaver announced today via press release that he will not run for Peoria mayor this election cycle.
Weaver told the Peoria Chronicle that when he started exploring a mayoral run, incumbent Mayor Jim Ardis had not yet announced whether he would be seeking reelection. Now that Ardis has announced, Weaver said he thought a mayoral contest would be a distraction from the work the mayor and the council are doing.
Weaver also said that exploring a run for mayor allowed him to “get back out and talk to folks.” In the process, he learned that his base has gotten bigger and more diverse since he was first elected.
Mayor Ardis is currently the only announced candidate for mayor.
Here’s the press release:
Peoria -At-large Peoria city council member Chuck Weaver is announcing today that he will not run for Mayor in 2013. “I considered running when Mayor Ardis had not clarified his intentions,” Weaver said. “The best result of expressing my potential interest in running for mayor was the incredible number of city residents that sought me out to give me their opinions on the challenges facing our city. I gained invaluable insight as a result and while I am humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement to run, I have concluded it is best for our community that I continue serving as a council member at this time.”
“I consistently had people stress the importance of a long term financially conservative view of our budget. They do not want to burden our children with debt that affects their quality of life. As a council, we need to focus on streets, sidewalks, safety and pension costs.”
Weaver added, “I do not want to take my eye off of a number of projects I have become engaged in over the last year. A hotly contested campaign would distract from my attention to several important projects.”
Specifically:
The Land Management Working Group Weaver participates in is well positioned to supplement the efforts of the LISC project, (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), recently funded by Caterpillar to improve and encourage residential and commercial redevelopment in the East Bluff and South end of Peoria.
The Business Advocates Working Group, including Councilmen Turner, Irving and Weaver, is engaging the staff to make it easier for businesses to do work with our city.
The four-county targeted economic development project “Focus Forward CI” is in its infancy and needs the undivided attention of the leaders in Central Illinois. It will take a concerted effort to reach our goal of adding 13,190 good paying jobs to the area by 2017.
Weaver said, “It is an honor to be engaged in the “Full Service Community School” collaboration taking place between Bradley University and one of our most important assets, our schools. That program is working with District 150 to change the lives of children in the Manual area.”
Weaver believes the city and constituents are facing some very serious challenges and that the Mayor’s focus on “Don’t Shoot” is well placed and deserves his undivided attention. Weaver and the full council are offering their support to see that program achieve sustainable success.
Weaver was elected as an at-large council member in 2011. Although it was his first run for political office, he received the largest number of votes.
Darn. I would have rushed to early voting to have cast that vote!
I am very surprised and happy. Chuck is an excellent Councilman and even though Jim and I have a few differences over the City’s efforts at Springdale, I think he is doing a good job overall.
I’m with Ramble On there would have been people in DROVES voting for him. Since last time only choice was a ExCon which I voted for just so Ardis wouldn’t get the vote. I think I will nominate a ROCK.
Jim would win a Ardis/Weaver match-up handily.
We are fortunate to have Chuck Weaver. We will take him any way we can get him.
I appreciate Weaver’s efforts.
I was collecting signatures for Weaver before he dropped out and nearly everyone I approached dropped what they were doing to sign it. There was an incredibly diverse group of supporters, most telling was the number of dedicated Democrats and dedicated Republicans, who just last month were at each others’ throats over the national and state election, in full support of Weaver. I believe he would have won a good 60-70% of the voters, not because he’s some kind of saviour to Peoria, but because he’s not Jim Ardis. Ardis has made many enemies in the last eight years and it’s unfortunate that no one is going to remove him from office.
Never in my life have I given serious thought to moving away from Peoria until now (it probably won’t happen, unfortunately. I’m just saying this to make myself feel better.)
Echoing all of the above, we need you here, Chuck, and appreciate your representation in any form we can get it. Yes, we absolutely have to redefine the mission of our police force as reducing crime, especially violent cime and hate crimes. It’s beyond ironic that our own police (and most City staff, for that matter) don’t know what a hate crime is, even as they are aiding and abetting it thru the good ol’boys’ networks. Good business-bred knowledge and methodology may yet whip services (yes, services, not just “putting in our time”) back into line and may increase efficiency and cut costs in the process. KEEP THE FAITH, KEEP THE FOCUS, Chuck!