Note: All election results are via WEEK.com.
I just returned from an evening of schmoozing with big-wigs and movers and shakers. Now that I am breathing the somewhat less rarefied atmosphere here at Kingspark Mobile Estates, I’m clearheaded enough to offer my reaction.
City Council: The results were (in order)
- Gary Sandberg 13,767 19%
- Eric Turner 11,912 16%
- Ryan Spain 11,894 16%
- George Jacob 9,656 13%
- Jim Montelongo 7,773 11%
The also-rans are:
- Dan Irving 5,136 7%
- Gale Thetford 4,915 7%
- Patti Polk 4,313 6%
- Gloria Fitzgerald 2,172 3%
- Dan Gillette 1,552 2%
I endorsed (again, in order) Montelongo, Sandberg, Jacob, Gillette and Spain. I really thought that Gale Thetford was going to be returning to the council and that low-key Montelongo would finish much lower, since he really didn’t seem to be campaigning all that much. And I thought that Turner would be vulnerable, but he finished second, no doubt benefiting from bullet voting.
The future for the council: There’s hope in some quarters that the city might adopt service fees as a source of funding (with an accompanying drop in property taxes) thus bringing the city’s many large and often well-funded non-profit institutions onto the tax rolls. The newly configured council has a better change of approving such a change. Ryan Spain works for the Heartland Partnership, which is funded in part by the City of Peoria. Look for him to be challenged very early on if he attempts to participate in any decision on funding for that organization or organizations affiliated with it. He just might break the unofficial record for abstentions set by Jacob — who can’t vote on anything related to liquor — and Turner doesn’t have any problem voting on issues on which his employer, Caterpillar, has a stated interest, like riverfront cdevelopment.
Peoria School Board: The results were:
- Linda Butler 1,599 25%
- Rachael Parker 1,432 22%
The also-rans were
- Bill O’Brien 1,404 22%
- Alicia Butler 1,070 17%
- Beth Akeson 961 15%
It’s no secret that I’m friends with Alicia Butler and appreciated her support in keeping Glen Oak Schook from being demolished and moved to Glen Oak Park. The Journal Start printed stories questioning items on her professional resume, which she had previously used as campaign material. Butler initially denied the allegations, but never provided any proof to the contrary, despite statements that she would. This frustrated her friends and backers. She gave little choice to voters who might be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt or forgive her for a lapse in judgment.
What’s next: The district is in serious financial trouble, but they’ve swallowed the story being woven by hired-gun treasurer Guy Cahill that they can engage in a massive building project and save money by consolidating schools and reducing costs. Decisions are being made behind the scenes to continue to fight to move Glen Oak School to the zoo. That’s why the district is demolishing the property it bought along Prospect Road — purchased even though at the time it was far from certain the site would be approved by the Park Board, and it wasn’t.
And now we have Linda Butler and Rachel Parker joining the board to try to fix this mess. C.J. Summers tells me that Parker is a good choice because she supports inclusive decision making and backs vocational education. I think I’ve head that song before, but I’m hopeful. Linda Butler thinks moving G.O. School to the park was a wonderful idea and would no doubt like to bring it up for a vote again. In other words, she’s a disaster. Beth Akeson could have made a wonderful replacement for Alicia Butler, but she finished last.
Peoria Park Board:
- Tim Cassidy 10,015 73%
- Robert Johnson 3,756 27%
I wasn’t enamored of Mr. Cassidy’s tenure as Park Board President, which included a decision to borrow money to start building the Glen Oak Zoo expansion — which was promoted as something that would begin only if enough private funds were raised.But in the end, Mr. Cassidy had to be considered a far better candidate that Mr. Johnson, who not only wanted to reconsider the Glen Oak School agreement in favor the relocation, he ran on a laundry list of new facilities to be built and new services to be provided.
What’s next: Let the overwhelming margin of victory for Mr. Cassidy serve as evidence for progressive in office and in the mainstream media that all voters want out of their park district board is that they conservators of park board land, that the maintain existing structures in the park and that they do so without wasting taxpayer’s money. It’s not their mission to be either a social services agency or an economic development agency.
Peoria Library $35 million bond advisory referendum:
- Yes 9,951 72%
- No 3,949 28%
It would seem that for every one voter who opposed this measure, there’s almost two who didn’t. Don’t let these numbers impress you, they are soft. Voter turnout was low, the media hyped up the “pro” side and there wasn’t an organized opposition group spreading a dissenting point of view.
What’s next: The library board has handed the new Peoria City Council a crap sandwich. The current council is going to spend a few weeks mostly wrapping up old business. The new members will be sworn in sometimes in early May and then the immediately start what they call the “budget process..” Last year, it ended in November. These people spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to pay the bills that go nowhere but up. Taxpayers, of course, insist on more and better services, but somehow are reluctant to pay for them.
The council knows that no matter what this referendum says, the people who voted them into office want more police officers, more fire fighters, and they want that garbage fee to go away. Believe me, they have things they would much, much rather see happen with an additional $35 million, referendum or no referendum.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Bill, 4 winning out your 5 is pretty damn good.
I don’t think the Heartland Group uses any City of Peoria money. I am under the impression that is ALL privately funded. I could be wrong.
Great spin on the library, Billy! “It would seem that for every one voter who opposed this measure, there’s almost two who didn’t.” There is some biased writing – must have learned that in journalism school. The “two who didn’t (oppose the referendum)”, of course, supported it.
Emtronics – The Heartland Partnership does have a contract with the city to work on some economic development projects. It’s something like $50K. Not much money, but there are lots of partnerships between the city and HP, namely on the Innovation Center.
Must have written this after one too glasses of sour grapes at one of the victory parties last night.
Spain is a good addition to the board and there is nothing that indicates he’ll have any substantial conflict of interest. Any why the snide comment about bullet voting on Turner? Because he’s African-American? Come on…..Sandberg probably got more bullet votes than anyone elected; yet no comment on that from you.
Alicia Butler made her bed and needs to lie (no pun intended) in it. I think the public clearly indicated they don’t want individuals that misrepresent their backgrounds.
And the library vote is overwhelming support. No matter who voted. IF you don’t vote you don’t get a chance to decide outcomes. The Council should listen hard to the public’s desire if they want to keep their integrity with the citizens. The same arguement you gave for rejected the approval could be used on all the races (low turnout, etc.etc.).
I think we’ve got some good additions to all the boards and the people spoke and elected those they wanted to represent them.
Every time a referendum passes, or fails, someone trots out the “low voter turnout, not the true will of the people” crap. . . .we saw the same thing with the water company buyout–opponents of the buyout pointed to the “overwhelming” vote against the buyout–would often use the figure “85% of the voters opposed” when in fact the correct statement was “85% of the people voting opposed” (which I believe was something around 16% of the electorate)–Hardly a mandate, but was proclaimed as such by opponents of the buyout–just another example of the ability to spin figures any way you want to support your beliefs. . .
What, nothing about the people of Peoria voting for Big Brother to tell the citizens where they can or can’t smoke?
110,000 people in Peoria, $35 million for upgrades to libraries – that’s $318 per person! Way too much money to spend and it isn’t needed.
…and the Garbage Fee goes on. Now that I have access to a voice on the council, I am going to bend his ear on getting rid of the Thetford, I mean the Garbage Fee period. How is it that we can do this library upgrade without a blink of the eye but we can’t do without the $3 million the Garbage Fee brings in??? Huh? Anyone?
Cory
Do you have a problem with Big Brother telling people NO SHIRT NO SHOES NO SERVICE?
Some habits are not appropriate to do at public establishments. Walking barefoot is legal, but not in bars and restaurants because it is unhealthy. Yet it doesn’t cause anyone cancer.
People are not allowed to masturbate in restaurants either. Should we also have masturbation sections and barefoot sections and “special rights” sections for all kinds of inappropriate habits in restaurants? Why should smokers have “special rights.”
True freedom is the right to do anything you want so long as it does not interfere with another person’s rights. Smoking in public places does interfere.
Do you want to rescind the 20 year plus ban on smoking in airplanes too? What about the ban on smoking in concert venues or movie theatres?
Hiding behind Big Brother is coming arguments for preserving special rights for smokers is blaspheming freedom and liberty.
Why do I get the feeling Emtronics is destined for a rendezvous with disappointment?
Hope he’s a nonsmoker, otherwise he’s in for a double whammy.
I was wondering that as well. I didn’t even know it was going to be there….glad I voted to at least have the opportunity to speak my piece.
you should always have had access to a voice on the council, if you, then elect other people and stop re-electing those who don’t listen.
Also it takes more than one vote to remove the garbage tax:
Therefore:
1. lobby at least 6 council members
2. offer some concrete suggestions on what to eliminate and/or replace the revenue
3. hold people accountable when the voters wishes are not enacted.
It’s not the government’s place to tell a bar or restaurant how to do business. Business owners can choose to make their establishment non-smoking.
As for the argument that it’s “not fair” to the employees because they’re “forced” to work in an environment hazardous to their health: No one is forcing that person to keep the job. They are perfectly free to go find a less hazardous workplace. A large number of Peoria restaurants and even a few bars are already smoke-free without the government forcing them.
Same thing with the patrons of said business. No one “forced” them to eat at that restaurant or drink at that bar. When you go to a bar, there’s going to be smoke. If you don’t want to put up with secondhand smoke, go to the liqour store, buy a twelve pack, have some friends over, enjoy yourself in a smoke-free environment. Even as a smoker, there are bars I won’t go to because they’re too smoky for me.
The legislation of personal responsibility is the only blaspheming of freedom and liberty I see here.
The real blaspheming is that this drivel is written under the moniker of ‘James Madison.’ One might want to read one of your namesake’s masterpieces – it’s called the Constitution.
Waitaminute … it’s illegal to pleasure oneself in restaurants? No wonder I was getting dirty looks at Culver’s the other day …
Hey, Mr. Madison, you may be surprised to discover that the government doesn’t require restaurants to refuse service to those with no shoes or shirt. The businesses themselves decide. That’s the way it should be with smoking, too.
I’m sorry Butler didn’t get reelected. I do think that had she 1) shown proof of degrees or 2) issued one heckuva apology she probably would have gotten back in. The “no comment” strategy wasn’t a winner. Too bad. She seemed to be the only D150 Board member who actually realized that the board are elected officials who are empowered by, and must answer to, the electorate.