The Importance of Voting on April 5th

A local election in Peoria Heights can actually hinge on one vote. ONE vote. That fact in of itself should spur the casual voter to take part in the local Trustee election, come April 5. But, it normally doesn't.

Why is voting for three Trustees in the Heights so important? Because, obviously, the Trustees do the voting that decides what is to be done (and not done) in the Village.

Do you like what has been happening in Peoria Heights over the past several years? The only way to guarantee that it will continue is to show up at the polls, and vote for the Trustee candidates who say they want to do so.

If you don't like what has been happening in the Heights over the past several years, the only way to do your part in ending it is to show up at the polls, and vote for those candidates who want to change what's been going on here as of late.

It's all really that simple.

I've not been able to get a full handle on what the Peoples Party candidates are wanting to do, if elected. Mostly I hear that the Peoples Party simply wants to undo everything we've done. Candidates Dave Parkinson and Charlie Gauf did not show up at the Meet the Candidates Night. Peoples Party candidate Bryan Lammers was there, professed his being an independent, and seemed to step back from the mantle of the Peoples Party. All of the trustee candidates (Independent and Peoples Party) seemed to be more aligned than not so. I don't understand why Parkinson and Gauf chose not to be at the forum.

I guess we'll know more when the Peoples Party literature comes out for the April 5 election. I don't expect to see any of it until the Friday before the election. I do know that the Independents running for Trustee, for the most part, want to continue on the path we have taken since 2005 - strengthening and repairing the infrastructure; increasing or maintaining our local services; and trying to attract families and new business to the Village.

In the end, no matter who you back or for what reason, it is imperative that you show up to vote on April 5. It takes just minutes of your day; there's rarely much of a line at the voting booth; and you truly have a real impact on the voting decisions.