CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

PEKIN CITY COUNCIL

16. If elected, what would be your top three priorities?

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce: A comprehensive or stategic plan that sets a vision for our community, prioritizes projects and meets our community's needs. A community pride / community clean-up program. An increased budget commitment to street maintenance. Progress on the large infrastructure projects mentioned earlier. Making economic development a priority in the budget.

Rick Hilst: Did not respond to the questionnaire.

Karen Hohimer: My top 3 priorities would be an employee audit, attracting people and businesses to Pekin, and showcasing all our community has to offer in a positive and sincere way.

John Abel: Rebuild savings/investments to the 25% benchmark
Hit top 3 infrastructure projects hard.
Court Street, Veterans Drive, and Derby Street

David Nutter: 1) Police/Fire Pension debt alternatives
2) Implement departmental goals/objectives, improved accountability and transparency and follow-up
3) Cost control and quarterly/semi annual budget review.

Matthew T. Tucker (Tyler): My top three priorities can be summed up in one phrase, I want to increase Pekin Pride.  In order to increase the pride, we need to start policing our neighborhoods and cracking down on violations of laws and/or ordinances.

We need to start making Pekin a “destination”.  We need to bring in or create reasons for people to want to come to Pekin and visit and ultimately want to move here.

We need to incentivize and increase citizen participation in volunteering their time and energy into making Pekin a better city.  By doing all of this and much more, we can increase Pekin Pride.  When people are proud of where they live, they take better care of it.  When they take care and are proud of where they live, this pride typically becomes contagious and it grows. As the pride grows the better Pekin becomes.  The better Pekin becomes, the more people will want to visit and eventually move here.

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