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The
new members, Jonette “Jonnie” Tibbs and Derrick Crane, who, save for
a write-in candidate, will be elected April 1, and Orville “Buzz”
Busby, who is unchallenged for a seat in Ward 4, will take their
seats early in May. Tibbs unseated incumbent George Mitchell in Ward
3, and Crane beat newly appointed incumbent Martha Neitzel in Ward
5.
"My top priority is the budget," said
Crane, 38, who works for the Illinois Department of Human Services,
Bureau of Pharmacy and Clinical Support Service. "If revenue is
lower, expenses have to be cut."
Crane, a first-timer in the political
arena, believes his job experience as business administrator, head
accountant and internal auditor for the bureau will help him deal
with the city's financial crunch. His department has already faced
severe cuts, from a $20 million budget last year to a $13 million
budget now.
He said he has never seen the city in
such bad financial shape. "That's why I threw my hat in the ring,"
he said.
"I hope to avoid layoffs. The fire and
police departments are short-staffed now, and I'd hate to make cuts
there. I'd hate to do anything to affect the safety of the
community. It's hard to make cuts in the street and alley department
too. If we can't avoid layoffs, I'd look at managerial positions,"
he said.
"We might be able to consolidate
services and become more efficient in doing the various jobs.
"We must keep to a bare-bones budget,
put everything on the table and get the city straightened out.
Voters put me in to make these tough choices," he added.
Crane favors the proposed 0.5 city
sales tax increase only if the city has cut everything possible out
of the budget.
"I'm looking forward to all the
challenges ahead," he said. "We must try very hard to get some
employment in town. I want to help this city. I want to make it
prosperous like it once was. That's my goal."
Tibbs, 60, has lived in Lincoln for 37
years. She has four daughters. She's retired but has worked for
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Logan County Bank, attended
Lincoln College, and worked on many community projects, including
co-chairing the park district's Country Craft Fair for 14 years.
Her list of priorities for the city
council puts the budget on top. Her goals are to look at the budget
and cut all unnecessary spending but not put the operation of the
city at risk.
She would also like to see the city
have a closer relationship with the county board, which she believes
would be good for the community.
"We should strive to keep our citizens,
the taxpayers, informed on issues that affect the health of our
community. By doing so we will gain back their confidence," she
said.
"We must be more aggressive in putting
our priorities in order, hopefully monitoring more closely the
monies that are funded to our community organizations.
Accountability is essential."
She also wants to concentrate the
city's efforts to promote and generate new businesses. She is in
favor of the sales tax increase, noting that other neighboring
communities have higher sales taxes than the proposed 6.75 percent.
Tibbs would like to see the city
looking more attractive, with some of the eyesores, like the Old
Mill Tavern, taken down, and some new welcome signs going up. She
says most neighboring communities have more attractive and more
visible welcome signs than Lincoln does.
"We want everybody to know we exist,
and we want to project a positive image. I think the city could ask
for sponsors and donations for new welcome signs," she said.
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Another project she would like to see
happen someday, "a little dream of mine," is for the city to build a
go-kart track on the old Stetson China property, which is currently
empty. This would generate business for hotels and restaurants.
She'd also like to see a small, informal ice-skating pond created in
the winter.
Tibbs believes she learned a great deal
by walking her ward and talking to the people there. "It's important
to listen to the view of everyone," she said. "I have been treated
very nicely by the people of this ward, and I thank them for their
votes and look forward to serving them."
Busby, 65, has already served 10 years
on the city council, four years in the 1970s and another six years
later, when he was appointed to fill an unexpired term and then ran
again.
Originally from Minneapolis, he moved
to Lincoln in 1965. He has three daughters, five grandchildren and
two great-grandchildren. He is a retired factory representative.
He's ready now to come back and try to
help with the budget problem.
"I believe in a line-item budget and
going over it with department heads every month. Every month every
member of the council should go over the budgets they are involved
with; that's the time to make a correction. If you wait until the
end of the year, you can't make any corrections. The money gets
spent," he said.
"The biggest expense in the city is
payroll, and the hardest thing for management to do is to lay
somebody off. But there is no way you are going to please everybody
all the time. You have to do what you think is right."
He is in favor of the sales tax
increase. "We need infrastructure repair, and if that's the only way
we can do it, it should go through. I voted for it before and will
vote for it again. It's a necessary evil -- we will either have a
tax increase or bad roads and sidewalks."
He has been in favor of an industrial
park since he was first on the city council in the 1970s.
"I think it is absolutely needed in
this town. We need some industry to move here. Industry doesn't wait
for infrastructure to be put in place; it's got to be there. If
infrastructure is not in, industry is not going to look at the
property.
He prefers the northeast side of town
for the park because the prevailing winds are from the west, and
this way smoke from industry will not be blown into Lincoln.
"If a town doesn't grow, taxes will go
up," he said. "You either raise taxes, cut services or increase the
tax base."
None of the three new council members
faces a challenger in the April 1 general election. The only
challenge would come from a write-in campaign, an unlikely
possibility.
Martha Neitzel will fill the vacancy in
Ward 5 created with the resignation of Alderman Michael Montcalm in
February. Montcalm’s term does not expire until 2005.
Tuesday’s election presents only one contested position. Alderman
Steve Fuhrer’s position is challenged by Leo Logan.
In addition to the city tax, two other
referendums will be on the ballots. The county is seeking a 4-cent
tax rate hike. Funds will support economic development.
Financially strapped Chester-East
Lincoln School district needs a 50-cent property tax to avert
further cuts in programs and staff. The music and a reading program
have already been cut. Athletics will be cut next.
Be
sure to get out and vote Tuesday, April 1.
[Joan Crabb]
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