Candidates for Aurora’s alderman at-large seat recently touted their experience during a forum.
The League of Women Voters Aurora Area forum was held online, and featured candidates Raymond Hull and Ron Woerman. The other candidate, Brooke Shanley, was unable to take part in the forum, but sent several statements that were read.
All three candidates bring different experience to the race. The city election is on April 6.
Hull is a 45-year resident of the city, and is retired after many years working in the city’s streets department, the last nine years as superintendent. He also spent years on the Aurora Planning Commission, and was on the East Aurora School Board.
He summed up his credentials as “knowledge, experience and leadership.”
“I’ve had my handprint in this community,” he said.
Woerman is a fairly new resident in the city, but touted his “life experience” and employment background as a business owner in the city, and time spent working in private financing. Woerman is part owner of O’Malley’s on the East Side and Spartan House on the West Side.
He also is an investor in the 80 S. River St. project, a mixed-use of commercial and apartments in downtown Aurora, and in the renovation of the former Copley Hospital campus on the near East Side.
“I understand what it is to be a business owner, to be successful,” he said.
Shanley is running for the second time for alderman at-large. She unsuccessfully sought the job two years ago.
She has lived in the 9th Ward on the far southeast side for about 10 years, and is an educator, with the East Aurora School District and Waubonsee Community College.
Shanley, in a statement read by a League of Women Voters member, said she supports good-paying jobs, redevelopment of downtown and historic neighborhoods.
Both Hull and Woerman spoke of economic development to build the tax base and bring in new revenue, but also of taking care of existing business.
Hull said he is concerned about how small businesses will survive the pandemic, although he credited City Hall with trying some programs to help those businesses. He said in a post-pandemic world, some business models have been tried that could survive, such as outside seating at restaurants.
He called developing new revenue streams “a challenge,” and said the city needs “a concerted effort to put our hands on every available grant.”
He said economic development should include bringing in small business, but that the city also needs to look at higher-paying manufacturing jobs.
Woerman said in bringing in new business, that downtown is “under-utilized.” He said the city has a role in helping businesses through some of the damage from the pandemic.
“We need to make sure local business recovers,” he said. “It needs our attention.”
Hull said he thinks the City Council “has to do a better job scrutinizing the budget.”
He said he thinks the city should eliminate “carry-overs” in the budget from year-to-year. If a project does not get done in one budget year, a department should come back before the City Council again for the next year, he said.
He also said he thinks it is not necessary for the city to increase executive pay every year.
Woerman said watching the budget is a matter of prioritizing.
“As a small business owner, I know what it means to make hard cuts,” he said.
Both candidates said they agreed transparency in government is important, but that much of that has to come from the people.
“The information’s out there,” Woerman said. “People need to pay attention to what’s going on, ask questions of aldermen and city officials.”
Hull said he would like to see the city limit campaign contributions, and that no one doing business with the city should be able to contribute to campaigns.
“From a transparency standpoint, there are areas we can improve,” Hull said. “That word is being tossed around a lot, but integrity is inherent.”
The full forum is available on the League of Women Voters Aurora Area Facebook page.
slord@tribpub.com
