City Council, School Board, and the referendum to eliminate the County Auditor are all up for debate in the April 4th, 2023 election in Decatur, Illinois. Richland Trustees also have some competition now that there are two write-in candidates.
There are also elections for Mayor, which has no competition after two candidates were disqualified, Decatur Park District, which only has one candidate, and ROE #39 Trustees, which have no candidates.
Prepare To Vote
You can register to vote at the County Building now, or on election day. You can also vote early at the County Building at 141 S Main Street. If you've moved since the last election, you'll need to update your voter registration, also at the County Building. Online registration is closed until after the election.
Your polling place, where you'll vote on April 4th, is on your voter registration card, or you can look it up online.
You can undervote to maximize your voting power, or skip voting for an uncontested office as a form of protest. You get to select up to 3 candidates for City Council, but if you only like 2 candidates, then only voting for two will give them the best chance. However, if you despise a 4th candidate, you may want to vote for a 3rd in hopes of pushing out the 4th. This voting strategy is a side-effect of winner-take-all voting, and some states & municipalities use ranked choce voting as an alternative.
Choose your candidates, write them down, and take your note to the polling place with you so you don't forget. If you wish to lobby your friends & family, consider writing down a few key points why you are choosing (or not choosing) each candidate. Always look at the back of your ballot to make sure you voted on everything.
City Council Candidates
There are four candidates for City Council - Lisa Gregory, Dennis Ralph Cooper, Pat McDaniel, and Karl Coleman. You will vote for up to 3 Decatur City Council candidates.
Topics facing City Council include an $87 million dollar budget; neighborhood revitalization efforts; gun crime; public transit improvements; a lack of fire inspectors; cannabis dispensaries, currently banned in Decatur; and more. We hope to cover these in detail at a later time.
Karl Coleman for City Council
Karl Coleman wants more police in our communities who look like the people they're policing, and wants to quell gun violence and address poverty by promoting good schools, good jobs, and mental health services. He wants to expand youth engagement programs, raise community-based violence prevention funds, embrace large scale manufacturers, and incentivize small business.
Coleman supports cannabis dispensaries and would like to invest cannabis tax into blighted communities. He wants to encourage more young people to return to Decatur after college. He wants to encourage more community involvement, both politically and non-politically. He opposes the $25 fine for being in downtown parks from midnight to 6am. He wants to promote walkability & biking by making sidewalks wider & safer, though sees difficulties in establishing bike lanes. He supports electric buses.
Karl is the chair of the Macon County Democrats, serves on the Macon County Board and the Decatur Public Library Board. He has a degree in Political Science and African American Studies from U of I Springfield. He is the secretary of the Southside Improvement Association, works for Senator Dorris Turner's Office in Decatur, and has worked for Andy Manar in the past. He is the son of a former Decatur police officer, and his stepdad recently died due to gun violence. He is part of the recently formed Decatur Leadership Coalition, looking for ways to fund new programs and address gun violence.
Coleman opposed the partisan county redistricting and previously advocated for an aldermanic form of city government. In Karl's 2022 County Board Campaign, he advocated for environmentally friendly policies, protecting our soil, revitalizing the local business economy, building solar panels, banning no-knock warrants, and he wanted to represent young, black, and minority voters.
Karl Coleman is endorsed by Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly AFL-CIO for being union friendly, and is endorsed by the Macon County Democrats
Pat McDaniel for City Council
Pat McDaniel wants to "fully fund public safety," including police and fire, support neighborhood revitalization, maintain & improve infrastructure, and work with developers to build apartments. He says he's advocated in the past for late night bus service for third shift workers. He wants to do neighborhood walks & talk to residents if elected, and continue attending government and community meetings.
McDaniel says he will never approve cannabis dispensaries. In Late November/December 2020, Pat McDaniel, in his role as Liqour Commissioner, "took action against four local businesses for disregarding COVID-19 restrictions that prohibit indoor dining." He has voted against cannabis dispensaries in the past and voted against allowing gambling machines in bars & restaurants.
Pat served on City Council from 2011-2021, then says he took a sabbatical due to medical problems, and to care for his mother who was dying. He served in the U.S. Army for 3 years & returned to Decatur after serving in Vietnam. He managed several grocery stores, worked as a reporter for the Decatur Tribune, served as the Director of the Macon County History Museum promoting Lincoln & Decatur Heritage, and was Chairman of the Drug Free Coalition for 5 years.
Pat McDaniel "was also encouraged to run this time around [in 2023] by Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe who helped in his petition drive. "Moore Wolfe would increase her strength on the council if McDaniel was appointed and later won election to the seat," writes Paul Osborne, Decatur Tribune Editor. McDaniel is endorsed by the Central Illinois PAC
Dennis Cooper for City Council
Dennis Cooper supports FLOCK Cameras, which scan license plates, advocates for "hard sentences" & no plea-deals for gun crimes, and says we need to talk about changing gun laws. He wants to rehabilitate defunct houses & put families in them; add special bus service for seniors, disabled, and low income people; get kids into trades & bring in military recruitment; collaborate with area agencies; look "outside the box" for new solutions; and "try to get the tax base down".
Cooper wants to approve medical cannabis dispensaries and is "not totally sold on" recreational dispensaries, but has previously said he'd support them "unless I'm shown a better option." His top three priorities are safety, accountability, and transparency. He approved small business food trucks to operate city-wide, including downtown; supported sunday bus service; and supported installation of 40 new boat ramps.
Dennis was appointed to City Council in August 2021. Dennis worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections for 32 years, working his way from entry-level to Chief of Staff & Special Assistant to the Director. He was a Deputy Sheriff in Kane County, is a past member of the Decatur group Caring Black Men, and past president of Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. He attended Oakland Grade School, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, and Stephen Decatur High School, has an associates degree in General Studies & Science, and has some additional college education after his degrees.
Dennis Cooper is endorsed by Central Illinois PAC, Macon County Democrats, and Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly.
Lisa Gregory for City Council
Lisa Gregory's top three priorities are neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, and improving downtown Decatur. She would like to continue demolitions of defunct structures and wants "more aggressive code enforcement, property inspections, and other enforcement strategies to improve our housing stock." She'd like to support large "catalyst" projects like the Jasper Street Corridor and Garfield project that spur further improvements.
Gregory wants to help workforce development agencies better connect & find "the right champion" to "[coordinate] our workforce initiatives." She wants to develop a five-pillar plan for Downtown Decatur including a market analysis, zoning & code enforcment unique to downtown, design elements, tourism and promotion, and economic vitality. She firmly opposes cannabis dispensaries. She is pro-police. She approved a restriction on downtown park access at night, but advocated for reducing the fee from $150+ down to $25. She opposes changes to state law regarding TIF Districts.
Lisa was elected to city council in 2015 & re-elected in 2019. She has previously served as a legislative liaison for Illinois Department of Revenue, Executive Driector of Public Information at Richland Community College, Chief of Staff at Richland Community College, and worked with/for the Illinois Municipal League, Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, Illinois General Assembly, Illinois Primary Health Care Association, and Decatur Memorial Hospital. She is currently a Public service administrator for Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, and is a Republican Precinct Committeewoman.
Lisa Gregory is endorsed by Central Illinois PAC, Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly, and Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe.
For further reading, see the City Council Election Page, which has a Q/A at the bottom & links to more detailed platforms for each candidate. You may enjoy the City Council Forum, which the Q/A is built from.
School Board Candidates
There are 6 candidates for School Board - Bill Clevenger, Misty Fronk, Jacob Jenkins, Mark Reynolds, Will Wetzel, and Hannah Wolfe. You will vote for up to 3 DPS 61 School Board candidates. You will also see Datrice Weathers and Jalynn Walker on the ballot, but they both withdrew. Don't vote for them.
Topics facing the School Board include: a $153 million dollar budget; low reading, writing, math, and science scores, especially for low-income students; 73% of students are low-income; 70% graduation rate; 56% chronic absenteeism; 73% teacher retention rate; transparency concerns; superintendent turnover; the lincoln park project; security & safety; student expulsions; and more. We hope to cover these in detail at a later time.
Hannah Wolfe for School Board
Hannah Wolfe wants to: improve math & reading scores; improve the district's reputation; serve 2 full terms; focus on transparency and communication; listen to students, parents, & teachers for creative solutions; implement an aggressive hiring campaign; improve DPS's relationship with local agencies, businesses, and the media; provide benefits & pay that keep teachers; create a coalition to assist students who are expelled; and support students basic needs so they are "coming to school ready to learn."
Wolfe says that we should be "brutally honest" about history at "an age-appropriate level," without "whitewashing it," so that history "doesn't repeat itself." Regarding LGBTQIA+ issues, she says "our job is to prepare kids for the real world" and that "if Jim has two dads, then Jim has two dads and that's just what reality is, and not something that is age appropriate or not."
Hannah, age 28, is a Human Resources Information System Analyst at Memorial Health, was born & raised in Decatur, is the daughter of Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, "graduated top of [her] class from Meridian schools," and majored in business at University of Illinois.
Hannah Wolfe is endorsed by Macon County Democrats, Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly, and Central Illinois PAC. The chair of Central IL PAC is Carla Brinkoetter, who owns Brinkoetter & Associates. Hannah accepts political contributions by mail at the Brinkoetter Realtor's office.
Will Wetzel for School Board
Will Wetzel wants to center all decisions around student learning; promote accountability & transparency; use volunteer programs, extracurricular activities, afterschool programs, and peace-making initiatives to address violence; send kids to alternate ed programs instead of expelling them; follow the law regarding curriculum, while hiring staff to handle implementation; and focus on reading, math, and writing.
Wetzel is concerned about the school board allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act 19 times in the past two years, and the loss of 6 principals in 18 months. He wants anonymized exit interview data from teachers to see why they're leaving the district, and wants to bring School Board meetings to each of the 18 schools in the district to reach more community members and families. He wants to focus on & fix things within the purview of the school board; set realistic goals for the superintendent; build an inclusive, open, and respectful district; and remain "consistently accessible".
Will, age 37, is a Global Technology Technical Analyst II at ADM, a precinct committeeperson for the Macon County Democrats, a former Vice Chair of the Macon County Democrats, and an adjunct professor at Richland. He was raised in Decatur, graduated Eisenhower in 2003, attended Richland Community College and Western Illinois University, and returned to Decatur in 2017.
Will Wetzel is endorsed by former School Board candidate Datrice Weathers, Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly, Macon County Democrats, Decatur Education Association, AFSCME, Decatur Federation of Teaching Assistants, DESPA - Decatur Educational Support Personnel Association, and SEIU 73 - Service Employees International Union Local 73.
Mark Reynolds for School Board
Mark Reynolds wants to "stop socially advancing children that aren't ready to advance"; have "no cell phones in classrooms"; focus on reading, math, and science; engage parents in student education; get more volunteers to help out at schools, such as to teach reading; put procedures and administrators in place to discipline and "separate the bad apples" who cause disruptions at school; recruit more minorities to support black students; and "get the teachers, the administration, and the board together" to make a plan.
Reynolds is concerned that "if we have children that can't read after the third grade, we've lost them." On Feb 21, he said school security was "not a high priority", then on March 8th said it is a "high priority". He says discipline is a big challenge. He wants to follow the law regarding Open Meetings, set specific goals for the superintendent, and focus on the "90% [of students] that want to learn."
Mark, when asked about curriculum related to black history & LGBTQIA+ issues, said "I don't feel it's appropriate for [kids] to be immersed in the LGBTQ agenda," that he does not want to ban books, but "I don't want a 3rd grader reading about two men having sex together." (The question had nothing to do with sex education.)
Mark Reynolds is endorsed by Central Illinois PAC. He is age 72, substitute teaches at Hope Academy, Franklin Grove, and Montessori, and is a retired investment broker for Wells Fargo.
Jacob Jenkins for School Board
Jacob Jenkins wants to put students first and address "declining academics, school violence and a board that lacks accountability, stability and credibility"; chronic student absenteeism; and teacher turnover. He wants to develop a 5-to-7-year strategic plan; improve wraparound services to support students and families outside education; hire more teaching assistants; implement restorative justice programs; bring new curriculums, while staying inline with the law; make sure kids can read; engage families and the community more in the schools; ensure teachers have the basics, like clorox wipes; and more.
Jenkins is concerned about the Scool Board allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act 16 times; kids being unable to sign their names; superintendents not being held accountable; past "bad decisions" to combine schools; and he says the "district kind of ran [black principals] off", and that "poor white and poor black students are in the same bucket when it comes to education". He wants to ensure preparatory programs are available to all students, and work with union leadership to address staffing issues.
Jacob is a Volunteer Programs Coordinator at Illinois Department of Human Services, a "former union president", has worked with the "second chance grant," and "many of the youth in this community that were a part of the criminal justice system," and is trained in WAIT - Watched Agression Interruption Training. He is 44 years old.
Jacob Jenkins is endorsed by Decatur Labor and Trades Assembly and Macon County Democrats. He was a very active precinct committee person for the Macon County Democrats until 2022.
Misty Fronk for School Board
Misty Fronk wants to have an open door policy for students, teachers, and parents to express concerns; raise student proficiency rates to 70%; get signed parental consent before teaching children about lgbtq issues or black history "that may be contradictory to their parents beliefs"; says teachers should be well-prepared to teach these topics so their instruction is not misconstrued to be "racist" or "downgrading one part of the history over another part"; and wants to bring back trades like wood shop, auto shop, and home-economics. (The 2023-2024 Curriculum lists several trades, including wood shop, metal-working, electronic principles, auto-repair, as well as 'Home Arts').
Fronk wants to engage the whole community in after-school programs; pull aside potentially disruptive kids and get to the root cause of their issues; "[fight] to make all meetings public record and [offer] information on how to obtain them"; give year-end evaluations to teachers and principals to find "the biggest issues they faced"; get "more teachers in classrooms," to help struggling kids and keep lessons on-track for students who are doing well; and get "back to the basics" of reading, writing, and math.
Misty said in a WAND Interview, that she decided to run after Illinois Family Institute told her at an event that Illinois schools had a graduation rate of 80% in 2019, but only 12% of students were proficient in reading & writing and 6% of students were proficient in math. Illinois Family Institute "encourage[s] parents to remove their children from government schools" according to Kathy Valente, a writer for IFI. IFI also opposes LGBTQ friendly legislation, such as decriminalization of HIV.
Another significant motivator for her to run is her grand-daughter who had a 1st grade reading level while in 4th grade in DPS. Fronk says her granddaughter's reading level significantly improved two years after moving to another state. She says others have "brought problems to the table" but "I do not see any true solutions" being offered.
Misty Fronk is 55 years old, is a certified nurse assistant, and has been in Decatur for about 5 years. She is not endorsed by any organizations we have reviewed. We have reviewed endorsements from Macon County Democrats, Decatur Labor & Trades, Central Illinois PAC, and Decatur Education Association. Macon County Republicans did not endorse any candidates for this election.
Bill Clevenger for School Board
Bill Clevenger wants to address "declining enrollment, flat to declining community EAV (Equalized Assessed Value), and escalating costs,"; address budget issues that may emerge after the "COVID related budget surplus"; have the School Board continuously evaluate its effectives & relationship with administration & staff; "establish a collaborative working relationship with the superintendent"; look at extracurricular activites and bring back "strong arts programs" and "strong athletic programs"; bring stability to district leadership; improve safety & security; and focus on "writing, basic math, [and] reading."
Clevenger says "The board should set strategic direction and goals, focus on student achievement and associated curriculum, monitor district climate and culture, ensure a safe education setting for students, faculty, staff and community, engage the community, ensure fiscal accountability and evaluate district/superintendent results." When asked about LGBTQIA+ & black history curriculum, he said he wants the board to "vote our own conscience," and "rely on our professional staff in the school system to make recomendations for the board to consider."
Regarding transparency, Bill says "I am the only candidate who has actual executive-level experience and understanding of “open meetings” and “FOIA” (Freedom of Information Act)," and notes his time in the Park District, saying "I was actively engaged and lead dozens of community input/community engagement opportunities." He says he has worked with taxes & budgets and that he has a strong background in financial accountability.
Bill Clevenger is 70 years old, was the executive director of the Decatur Park District for 34 years, has four sons who graduated from MacArthur, is married, and has lived in Decatur for 35 years. He is endorsed by Central Illinois PAC; Decatur Education Association, SEIU 73, and Decatur Educational Support Personnel Association (DESPA); Decatur Labor & Trades Assembly; Decatur's Building Trades Union and 'The DPS Chalkboard'.
For further reading, see the School Board Candidate Forum, Herald & Review's 'Meet The Candidates' or browse the School Board Election Page, which has a Q/A at the bottom & links to more detailed platforms for each candidate, based on the school board forum.
Referendum to Eliminate the County Auditor
Currently, the County Auditor is elected. There is a ballot referendum that will eliminate the elected position if it receives a majority of YES votes. If the elected position is eliminated, the County Board, a partisan political board, would oversee the auditor's office and may appoint a financial expert to fill the Auditor's role, but there is no guarantee of that.
The actual ballot measure reads:
Shall the office of County Auditor be eliminated effective December 1, 2024?
Voting YES will ELIMINATE the elected position.
Voting NO will KEEP the elected position.
The Macon County Auditor is the "financial arm of the county," according to Carol Reed, the current elected auditor, who is a Certified Public Accountant. She manages financial reporting, payroll, health insurance, and grants.
If the April 4th 2023 Referendum passes, The County Auditor's elected job would be eliminated and likely replaced by an unelected financial expert, hired by the County Board. Carol says "anybody could run for auditor," and believes the County Board wants to ensure only a credentialed professional can run the office, since the elected position doesn't have any financial certification requirements.
Neither Kevin Greenfield (R), County Board Chairman, nor Linda Little (R) County Board Vice Chair, responded to our request for comment. Karl Coleman, Macon County Democrat Chair, and one of three Democrats on the 15 member County Board, encourages a no vote, and previously said Charla Bond Jones, a Public Service Administrator for the Department of Transportation, intends to run if the elected office is kept.
As an independent elected official, Carol has primary authority over the office, with some oversight by the County Board. Under a hired financial expert, "the County Board would have more [say] in how the office operates," says Carol.
Carol says in most counties with auditors, the office's primary function is internal audits of other offices, but "We don't do that as much because we don't have the time. I mean, we do audit accounts payable, accounts receivable, and receipts and stuff, but we don't go out and do discovery type audits in other offices." "We rely on our outside auditors" who have to come in once a year for "a certified financial audit," she says.
Carol doesn't have a strong position either way, doesn't want the office to become political, and plans to retire in two years. She says she just wants to see that "the office is left in good shape".
For more information read Do we need a County Auditor? or Herald & Review's article Voters to decide fate of Macon County auditor position.
Richland Trustees Candidates
For Richland Trustees, there are three seats available and four candidates - Wayne Dunning, Benjamin Andreas, Marcy Rood, and Anthony "Tony" Albertina.
Marcy Rood and Anthony "Tony" Albertina are write-in candidates. Their names should be written exactly as they are here, but it is ultimately up to election judges to determine voter intent, so some spelling errors may still be counted. There will be two write-in lines, if you wish to vote for both. Make sure to write their name AND fill in the bubble.
We have not had time to cover these candidates, but you can review the following:
- Marcy Rood - Platform information written by her.
- Anthony "Tony" Albertina - His Facebook post with some platform information.
- Benjamin Andreas - We did not reach him for comment.
- Wayne Dunning - Very brief platform information, provided by him.
Uncontested offices
These are minimally covered here, because these offices are all uncontested. Click the links for more information.
The race for Mayor only has one candidate - incumbent Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, who has not responded to my email asking for platform information. She had two opponents, Abeer Motan and Mary Williams, but both were disqualified due to challenges of their petitions to run for office.
For Park District Commissioner, there is one available seat, and only one candidate - Shelith Hansbro. Shelith is serving as an appointed Park District Commissioner, since August 2022. Her focus is on transparency, representing the community, especially black folks & seniors, and making park programs accessible to everyone.
There are no candidates for Regional Office of Education #39 Trustees, though a total of six seats are available. ROE #39 Trustees primarily review requests to change boundary lines for school districts when a citizen requests their house be switched to a different district.