Decatur City Council Election Results 2021

 For results in the April 6, 2021 election for Decatur City Council, please go to the Macon County Clerk's website here.

Please remember election night results are unofficial and may not include all ballots.

Joliet City Council District 1 Candidate Larry Hug Tired of Career Politicians

Joliet City Council District 1 Candidate Larry Hug has released a press release stating that if he is elected, he will present a plan to eliminate health insurance for sitting council members as well as any and all retirement plans in addition to banning lifetime health insurance for former council members.

Joliet is facing a $27 million dollar budget shortfall in 2012.

Joliet City Council District 3 Candidate Richard Rodriguez started a website calling for an end to free lifetime health benefits for retired Council Members, and the Joliet City Council voted to end those lifetime benefits for future council members at a February 2011 meeting (see details here). 

"Call me old fashioned, but I believe that running for election is a call to civic duty," said Hug, "not a chance to force your fellow residents to pay for your personal benefits that many can't afford for their own families."

"When you are elected and compensated in dollars for your time you are answering the call of civic duty," said Hug, "but when you also receive health insurance and retirement, in many cases for life, you are involved in a career.  I for one am tired of career politicians on any level."

Hug has outlined a plan to eliminate lifetime health insurance  for former council members that would also eliminate health insurance for sitting council members and all retirement for any council members.  He estimates this would save the city over $300,000 a year and "end the insanity."

"Whoever originally enacted this lunacy should be ashamed," said Hug,  "There's no way it can be logically explained other than to say those people  were  looking out for their personal interests only, and not the interests of the people of Joliet."


Hug is one of six candidates for District 1 challenging incumbent Joseph Shetina.  The six challengers are:


IIona Vaughn
Larry E. Hug
Vanessa Romeo
James Lipinski
Donald C. West Jr.
Steve Cammack

If any candidate for elected office in Joliet (or anywhere else in Will County) would like to send in their press releases, email them to: willcountynews@gmail.com.

7 Vie for Joliet City Council District 1 Seat

6 Challengers are running against incumbent District 1 Joliet City Council member Joseph Shetina in the City of Joliet Consolidated Election to be held April 5, 2011.


According to Shetina's biography on the City of Joliet Website:
"Councilman Joe Shetina has served the residents of Joliet since 1974 and is currently the longest serving person on the City Council. Joe chairs the city’s Land Use Committee and Legislative Committee. He is a self employed accountant and appraiser. He majored in accounting and was educated at Joliet Junior College, Northern Illinois University and Lewis University after graduating from Joliet Township High School. His other activities included being involved in the Jaycees and Easter Seals.

Family History
Joe is married to Susan and they have three children and seven grandchildren.

Goals for the City of Joliet 
Joe would like to see the City of Joliet continue to grow in the industrial and commercial sector and for Joliet to maintain a strong presence in the economy by helping to bring more jobs to the area. He would also like to see Joliet continue its tradition of helping the local schools and to maintain a strong public safety presence in the community."


The six people challenging Shetina are:


IIona Vaughn
Larry E. Hug
Vanessa Romeo
James Lipinski
Donald C. West Jr.
Steve Cammack


During an event sponsored by the Homer Tea Party, Ilona Vaughn said she is running for Joliet City Council "first and foremost because Joliet City Council is falling completely apart."  Vaughn also identified the City's budget deficit as a reason she is running.  Watch the rest of IIona Vaughn's comments here:





Larry Hug listed the following information about himself on his Facebook page:


"PERSONAL

-Married to my wonderful wife Susan. Together we have
two beautiful children, Douglas and Lauren

-Strong advocate for the residents and locally owned
small businesses

-A a sincere believer in our children's education and the
schools that educate them

-Someone who believes in fiscal responsibility

-Graduate of Northern Illinois University



PROFESSIONAL PAST & PRESENT

-Local business owner for many year, Mr. Bill's Music.

-Reporter and editor for several area newspapers

-Illinois Licensed Independent Insurance Agent

-Member Official, Illinois High School Association (IHSA)

-Member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 179

-Founded the Federation of United Retail Music Merchants to fight for small businesses against the large corporations mistreating them. This movement lead to a nationwide FTC investigation into the retail music industry

-Member of the National Association of the Self-Employed



COMMUNITY

-Founded and organized the larges Post-Hurricane Katrina relief effort in the Midwest. Arrived as the second truck in, three days after the hurricane hit, following up with 16 more trucks and a total of over 70 tons of medicine, food, clothing and other necessities.

-Over the years have personally and professionally supported many groups including United Cerebral Palsy, Wish-Upon-A-Star and several homeless shelters among others.

-Organized local relief efforts for several families who lost their homes to fire over the years.

-Youth Athletics Coach

-Volunteer Firefighter/EMT

GOALS

-Be readily available to all my District 1 neighbors

-Rein in the spending and focus Joliet's limited resources on the core needs of Joliet and its residents, not the needs of large corporations and private investors who want to pad their profits or avoid their private business and investment losses.

-Require large companies to finally pay their fair share in local taxes thereby leveling the playing field for the many locally owned small businesses that have already stepped up to the plate and done so year in and year out.

-Restructure the garbage pickup contract so that the residents reap the benefits and not Waste Management as it is currently structured

-Address the looming $50 million sewer upgrade the city has put off while spending lavishly for unnecessary luxury project. The Federal EPA will wait no longer and a new city council will carry more legitimacy in negotiating a real phased in plan as opposed to being hit with a large one time project that has been estimated to triple or quadruple current residents' water bills."

Vanessa Romeo
I could not find a facebook page or any YouTube videos for Vanessa Romeo.  If you know of any, please email me the link at willcountynews@gmail.com.


James Lipinski
I could not find a facebook page or any YouTube videos for James Lipinski.  If you know of any, please email me the link at willcountynews@gmail.com.


Donald C. West, Jr.
I could not find a facebook page or any YouTube videos for Donald C. West, Jr.  If you know of any, please email me the link at willcountynews@gmail.com.


Steve Cammack

According to Steve Cammack's website: "Steve Cammack is a fiscal conservative who believes that government must live within its means.  His priority as a District One Councilman is to scrutinize the budget, examine new options to attract business and industry, and make District One a place where people want to live, work, and play.

For far too long, the city has focused its economic development on restaurants and retail.  The city must recruit industry and manufacturing in order to increase revenue as well as gain additional employment opportunities for Joliet residents.

Joliet needs businesses that attract consumers from across the region.  The Apple Store, for example, attracts hundreds of people to downtown Naperville; the Promenade attracts thousands to Bolingbrook each year.  This is a long-term relationship, and we should be open to tax incentives necessary to compete with our neighbors and to lure new business that will attract new families to Joliet.

Studies have shown that families will spend 40% of their income in the city where they live.  Cities also receive the tax benefits. Unfortunately, there are many empty homes in Joliet, including here in District One.  Therefore, we should consider incentives to attract families to our community.  It not only will help build a robust economy, but strengthen our high quality of life.

The residents pay to keep Joliet running.  Every time the city council spends your money, I believe they must ask three important questions:

First, how will it benefit the entire city and all of the residents?

You deserve equal benefit and enjoyment when the city council invests in a project, a foundation, a charity, a park, a historical landmark, a statue, or a baseball stadium.

But they also must ask “Is this necessary, and can we afford it?”

People across our nation ask these questions every day in their own personal lives.  I believe the city can pull itself out of its economic troubles by beginning to ask these questions as well.

As a member of the city council, you can count on me to ask these questions."


This election will be very important to the future of Joliet.  Recently, Yahoo included Joliet on a list of 16 cities that could go bankrupt.  Obviously, there is much work to do, and the citizens will have to decide which person they believe is capable of leading Joliet to a better future.

Joliet City Council Candidate Richard Rodriguez Seeks Elimination of Lifetime Health Care for Retired City Council Members

Richard Rodriguez, candidate for Joliet City Council, District 3, launched an online petition calling for the elimination of lifetime health care benefits for retired city council members and mayors.

“This is our Joliet, where people work hard and live within their means,” said Richard Rodriguez. “Unfortunately, Joliet politicians have not lived within theirs – and in return, it’s the people of Joliet who have to pay.”

Currently, council members and mayors who serve two terms or more are eligible for free lifetime health care benefits paid for by the city upon their retirement.  City Council positions are classified as part-time occupations.

“Joliet is currently running budget deficits, and that’s just not acceptable,” Rodriguez said. “It’s time that we start coming up with real solutions to get us back on track – even that means making some tough decisions. That’s why I am calling on the current council members and all candidates seeking election to the board to pledge to eliminate this financial burden, which will ultimately fall upon future generations of Joliet,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’ announcement comes on the heels of Councilman Joseph Shetina’s request last week that city staff prepare a proposal for a change to the system.

Rodriguez has sent a letter today to all city candidates and council members urging them to join his pledge. The public can sign the online petition at www.SaveJoliet.com.

Rodriguez is running for Joliet City Council, District 3, against incumbent John Gerl and Robert G. Hacker.