Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories looking at contested races in the Aurora area in the April 4 general election.
The race for a City Council seat in the 1st Ward in St. Charles in the April 4 election includes Jessica Bridges, Tom Galante and Mark Foulkes.
Current Ald. Bill Kalamaris from the 1st Ward elected not to run for re-election to the council.
Foulkes, 46, said issues in the 1st Ward include the future of the Pheasant Run property, infrastructure improvements and the need to continue to attract businesses “throughout the city.”
“The city did approve a TIF to start some development there but it is still in some litigation in terms of it being demolished, so I know people would like to see something done with that in Ward 1,” he said about the Pheasant Run site.
Foulkes said the 1st Ward “needs improvements as far as our sidewalks, streets, sewers, water systems and so forth.”
Regarding the business climate, he said the city needs “sustainable businesses that aren’t going to just show up here for a couple of years and then fall through.”
If elected, Foulkes said he wants to focus on enhancing resident engagement with the City Council, supporting local businesses by being “solution-based” and focusing on pedestrian safety.
“One of the reasons I’m running is to improve pedestrian safety and the overall quality of our ward and the value of our property and for our families and making sure they have a safe environment,” he said.
The City Council, he said, “needs to be more transparent and allow people to find out more clearly what’s going on.”
“I don’t have any personal agenda,” he said. “I want to do what is best for the city.”
Galante, 53, said concerns in the ward include the Pheasant Run project, developments by the Fox River including the old police station and First Street Plaza, and street, sidewalk and sewer issues.
“Pheasant Run is an issue as people want to see new development but despite the TIF I want to see a pay-as-you-go where the developer bears most of the cost rather than residents’ taxes going up,” Galante said.
Regarding the developments near the river, Galante said that “everyone seems to agree they don’t want huge developments there that would block public access to the river and public enjoyment.”
Infrastructure issues, he said, have been frustrating “as there have been people telling me they’ve been asking for two years to have something replaced and are told it’s on a schedule but can’t be done yet due to money issues.”
If elected, Galante says he wants “to build community input which goes along with government transparency” via the city website.
Galante also wants to focus on keeping the Fox River clean and accessible “because even if we don’t have huge developments down there just attracting people is how you attract dollars and keep the community economically viable.”
Galante also said he would like to focus on fiscal responsibility and smart development.
“We need to make sure we are trying to use businesses revenues for our city funding as opposed to putting that burden on the residents,” he said.
Bridges, 35, said issues in the ward include skyrocketing prices and the current economy, the growing number of abandoned buildings and the ongoing developments along the Fox River.
“The prices of things continue to go up. People are concerned about the economy both locally and nationally,” she said. “We are seeing companies cut back on their spending as well as families doing the same. Meanwhile, St. Charles is raising property taxes and I believe the city needs to reevaluate every line of their budget and keep taxes as low as possible.”
Regarding development, Bridges said, it is “time for St. Charles to rebuild,” noting that both Pheasant Run and Charlestowne Mall have been abandoned for several years and “it’s time to attract those businesses to get in there and rebuild them.”
She also said starter homes are way overpriced and should not be starting in the $400,000 to $500,000 range “but be more around $250,000.”
Also, plans along the Fox River “should have community input prior to reaching out to developers.”
If elected, Bridges wants to focus on keeping taxes low and working on the redevelopment of Pheasant Run and Charlestowne Mall.
“Line by line I’d like to go through the budget and eliminate unnecessary spending,” Bridges said about keeping taxes low. “We have to keep in mind taxes are based on our home’s appraisal and houses are going to go up, so it’s not like the city isn’t going to get more money.”
Redevelopment, Bridges said, should have costs borne by the developers and “we need a City Council that makes sure that is happening.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
