HARRISBURG, Ill.---There are four open spots on the city council for the city of Harrisburg, and as usual, there are a lot of contenders.
And while this year there are none running against the incumbent mayor, Dale Fowler, for that office, something that's nearly always the case (and this year's non-interest in that office is an oddity), there are plenty to choose from in the spots for city council.
Harrisburg residents are advised to choose wisely, therefore, from the packed slate, as the downward slide we've seen occurring in the city, largely through the absent leadership of former mayor Eric Gregg, still needs arrested. Here's your front-page article on this current issue's offering on the Saline County races, Heavy slate for Harrisburg council:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While it’s usually a crowded field for the four open spots on Harrisburg’s council of city commissioners, this year is remarkably so.
The ballot positioning doesn’t tell the tale, as some of the better candidates are further down the line, but in order of appearance, Harrisburg must choose four of 12 for the council…and this selection could conceivably change the face of the city since the 2011 election and the massive abruptions experienced since that time: Natalie Miller, Ron Fearheiley, John McPeek, Ryan Lambert, Linda Mitacek, Richard D. Harper, Steven Larry Reed, Beth Simpson Montfort, Charlie Will, Mike Weirauch, Michael L. Smith and Wayne Horstmann are all seeking a council slot.
For whatever reason, former mayor Eric Gregg, who is now a state teat man having won the favor of former governor Pat Quinn when Gregg covered over for Quinn’s faux pas post-2012 Leap Day Tornado (Quinn neglected to follow steps to obtain federal disaster money for those in the tornado’s path in Harrisburg), has been stumping for Miller on his radio show at the local station, WEBQ.
This, Disclosure is hearing, is against protocol for state employees (Gregg is an appointed member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board) to do.
This doesn’t diminish Miller’s effectiveness in any way; most sources in Harrisburg note that she would be a good addition to the council.
However, Gregg, as usual, appears to believe he is above statutes and well below common sense, so his weekly stumping for Miller has grated on listeners’ nerves and has actually done more harm than good for the candidate.
Incumbents Fearheiley, McPeek and Horstmann have their work cut out for them by the very popular candidates Will, Lambert and in particular, Harper.
Richard Harper is the CPA, and formerly a city treasurer like Will was, who was highly critical of Eric Gregg shortly after Gregg’s 2011 election…so critical, in fact, that Gregg got rid of him early on, as in about three months.
Being turned out by Gregg soon came to be a badge of honor, however, when about a year later, Gregg also gave Will the boot.
Both men were on to something with Gregg, which ‘something’ finally came out in the 2011-2012 audit results that were released in early 2013, at about the time Gregg took the appointment (and, he’ll say, protection) of the state job.
The losses in the water department and disaster assistance fund have never been fully explained.
However, if both Will and Harper get on to the council, there could possibly be some transparency coming to Harrisburg the likes of which none have seen for a while.
Were that council to be rounded out by McPeek and...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To read the rest of the article, simply click the headline link above if you have an online membership to the e-Edition, or, if you don't, click this link here to get started. But if you prefer to read a print version, visit any one of our wonderful vendors throughout southern Illinois, where you can pick up the current issue, the Consolidated Election 2015 preview (March/April) on stands until one week post-election. Don't miss this one...you need to be informed...more posts to come!