RANTOUL — The election for Rantoul’s mayor is April 1. Incumbent Charles Smith is dealing with off towards District 5 Village Trustee Samuel Corridor III.
IPM Information interviewed Smith and Corridor about their {qualifications} for the job and their targets for the village. They spoke about supporting the native financial system, rebuilding village infrastructure and taking enter from residents.
Mayoral hopefuls prioritizing financial improvement
Corridor stated he’s campaigning with a deal with supporting each huge and small companies. His targets embody growing Rantoul’s workforce to assist create new employment alternatives for residents.
“My plan is to essentially sort of develop the small enterprise sector, not forgetting what we’d like out west with a number of the greater storefronts,” Corridor stated.
He stated as mayor, he’d accomplice with different native communities to host workshops for enterprise house owners and entrepreneurs.
Smith stated his administration has supported the group by securing practically $2.9 million in small enterprise loans, noting in a Facebook post that he has put the village in a “strong monetary place.” He stated there’s nonetheless extra work to be completed to additional develop the village’s financial system.
Smith stated he stays dedicated to the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track, a undertaking that will set up a analysis and testing location for “autonomous and multimodal transportation” in Rantoul.
“We’ve been engaged on (I-ACT) for nearly 10 years, and offering the entire program is in place, I wish to see that dropped at fruition, and the development begin on that facility,” Smith stated.
Candidates differ on the state of group engagement
Corridor stated his administration plans to broaden efforts to interact with group members.
He added that he and his crew would develop an open door coverage for the mayor’s workplace and search group suggestions for the Board of Trustees and village employees.
Smith stated the village already affords civic engagement alternatives. He stated officers host a research session each month the place residents may give public remark and suggestions on objects listed on the agenda.
Shared curiosity in bettering infrastructure
Smith stated Rantoul has seen development in recent times. That improvement, he added, means the village’s electrical and water programs are in want of a facelift.
Corridor stated he shares Smith’s want to enhance Rantoul’s infrastructure, however he emphasised the necessity to resurface the village’s roads.
He stated the present technique of patching flaws in native streets has been insufficient.
Each cite expertise as qualification for mayor
Smith stated his work within the mayoral seat for the previous 12 years speaks for itself.
“I’m working this job on a full time foundation, and so I’m completely devoted to it,” Smith stated.
Smith stated his accomplishments embody the opening of the Rantoul Household Sports activities Complicated that pulls practically 1.1 million guests yearly.
He additionally cited investments similar to partnerships with Maverick Piping and Buzzard Pipe Organ Builders.
Corridor, a resident of Rantoul for over twenty years, stated his expertise as CEO of NIA Incorporated and setting coverage in his trustee seat pushed him to run for mayor.
“My expertise, not simply from what I’ve skilled as a trustee, however my expertise in my skilled life as supervisor, founder and chief working officer, and a handful of different experiences that I’ve had have simply led me to to say, ‘Nicely, it’s time to steer Rantoul,’” Corridor stated.
