CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Candidate:  Jason Juchems          Position Sought:  Council Person, City of Pekin

1.  Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking office to bring a youthful change to city council and to promote diversity in Pekin.  If elected to council, I plan to bring fresh, new ideas to the City of Pekin, while keeping in mind that we need to build a city for the future, while being environmentally responsible.  My generation inherits good and bad policies that today's council sets forth.

2.  What are your qualifications for this office?

I was the 2005 President and a current board member of the Central Illinois Herpetological Society, a division of the Peoria Academy of the Sciences a 501(c3) non-for-profit organization.  I will be a graduate of Bradley University in May of 2007 with Bachelors in Elementary Education.

3.  Have you ever owned or managed a business?  If yes, please explain.

No, I have not owned or managed a business in Pekin.  I have however, been an employee of County Market in Pekin for 5 years and an employee of Wildlife Prairie State Park, a 501(c3) non-for-profit organization.

4.  How do you propose to retain, expand and attract businesses in the Pekin area?

Pekin's downtown business district needs to look at a city like Galena, Illinois as a model for business.  The emphasis needs to be placed on Pekin's small town charm, while offering goods and services unique to our city.  Locally owned businesses are crucial to this development.  The business community of Pekin and the city council need to commit themselves to creating a unique atmosphere to bring businesses to downtown Pekin.

5.  What role should the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations play in strengthening the City's economic base?

The role of the chamber and other business organizations is to give support to up-incoming businesses and to those interested in starting a business in Pekin.  Local businesses are a strength in Pekin's economy.  They provide individual customer services that the "big box" operations do not.  These businesses are crucial to the economic development and the growth of Pekin.

6.  Do you support the continued construction of Veterans Drive?  Why or why not?

I support the continuation of Veterans Drive, only if state and federal money funds are the primary source of revenue for the project.  The focus of the above revenues should be used to the expansion of to the north to link with Interstate 474.  This will pay a larger economic role in Pekin.

7.  Do you support the proposed change to the Route 9 designation from Court Street to the southern/western leg of Veterans Drive?  Why or why not?

I support the change as long as the IDOT funds allocated to the City of Pekin are not decreased.

8.  What is your vision for downtown Pekin, including riverfront development, West Campus, and James Field?  What should be the City's role in these efforts?  How should these projects be paid for?

I believe in a standstill for riverfront development.  The focus now should be the historic preservation and renovation of downtown Pekin.  The primary focus now should be to bring businesses into the downtown to support the river front park.

James Field is a great opportunity to be a highlight of our city.  Though a long process, James Field should become a prairie restoration project.  Being owned by District 108, this area main goal should be education, not adult softball fields.  Project Based Learning can take place in this outdoor laboratory.  Students can study native plants and animals, rein act the movement of settlers through Illinois tall grass prairie, and to see what author Laura Ingles Wilder went through in her classic novels.  Students can learn community involvement with litter removal and the initial building of the prairie.  Funding can be sought through IDNR and local business.  Project must be seen as educating the next generation, environmental project, and as marketing point to see a city prairie.  The City of Pekin role in the project is to not creating hurdles for the project to jump through to get started, the assistance of the city manager and council should be provided to help secure granting.  The city also needs to see prairie areas across the city as an aid to our current run-off drainage problems across the city.  Kentucky Blue Grass root only go inches into the soil and can only absorb a maximum 1/4inche of water, prairie plants absorb more water and have root systems that go feet into the soil.  

The City Council should apply pressure to the development of West Campus.  There are multiple uses for this structure.  Similar to that of Galena, IL the building could be renovated into condominiums.  A more public used of this historic structure should be used as the Tazewell County museum and by Illinois Central College as a satellite location for neighborhood classes.  Classes such as Biology 115 Native Plant and Animals could use the purposed prairie across the street.

9.  What, if anything, should the City of Pekin do to promote tourism in Pekin?

The city should financially support marketing campaigns of television, newspapers, and magazines as a vital key to show what Pekin has to offer as a weekend getaway city, not only to our neighboring communities but also statewide.  The current agreement is key to this marketing.  The Chamber of Commerce along with it members can put together weekend packages featuring local inns, restaurants, shops, and places to relax and enjoy our small town atmosphere.

The City Council of Pekin goal should be to expedite business to the downtown area.

10.  What are your thoughts about City finances?  Are there opportunities to cut expenses?  Specifically, where are those opportunities?  Is there a need for new or additional revenue?  Specifically, where would it come from?  Are there areas where spending needs to be increased?  Specifically, where does spending need to increase?  Specifically, where would the money come from?

The city financial status should be addressed on the terms of "What is needed for the city to operate and operate efficiently?"  The city continues its quest to gain the control of Illinois-American Water through a franchise agreement which may not profit the city.  Citizen tax dollars are being spent on an issue that may never prosper while at the same time it raises the questions can the city gain revenue from the water company?  

The city needs to manage and renovate the infrastructure the city has today.  At our current situation, raising property and sales taxes are unwise decisions.  The 2005 District 108 Report Card states that 43.8% of students in the district are low-income, any new taxes only create an additional hardship for families in Pekin.  Many families already live paycheck to paycheck and now have to worry about the increase on utility rates.

New revenue is needed in the city, but fees and increase in taxes are not appropriate.  Additional revenue needs to be generated through the increase of commercial real estate and expediting of retail and commercial business to Pekin

11.  Do you have any "conflicts of interest" with the City of Pekin, either financially or personally?

No, I do not have any conflict with the City of Pekin.

12.  What are your thoughts on the City Manager form of government?  Has it been successful for Pekin?  If not, what form of government do you believe would be best for Pekin?

I do support the City Manager form of government.  I do however believe that education is a critical part of any job.  Qualifications for the job such as bachelor's degree in Business Management or engineering should be strictly enforced and a contract should not exceed three years.  These measures insures accountability to the citizens of Pekin.

13.  What do you believe is the role of a city council member in the city manager form of government?

City council members are representatives of the citizens.  As such, they are to be open for all citizens' ideas and concerns.  Because the city is a city manager form of government the council members are to bring forth and address the issues citizens have about the city in an open manner to the city manager and the council at large.  The council is also to oversee the work of the manager as a check and balance.

14.  Do you believe city council members should serve on the various city boards and commissions?  Why or why not?

No, just as there are separation of powers in the federal government their should be at the city level.  The boards and commissions should be able to work independently from the council without interference.

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

1. Fiscal Responsibility

2. Development of downtown Pekin

3. Environmentally Responsible Policies

16.  At the end of your term in office, how will you know if you've been successful?

I will know if I have been successful by passing balanced budgets, starting downtown development, while preserving Pekin's historic past, and placing environmentally sound policy into effect.