Municipal elections on April 4th will decide four seats on the Galesburg City Council in addition to other town councils and school boards. WGIL has learned from Galesburg Election Commission Director Lisa Watson that the window to withdraw from the ballot has passed. Only one candidate that initially submitted petitions to run has pulled out; that's Jayme Carr running in Ward 1. That leaves incumbent Bradley Hix running against Stephen "Champ" Coleman in Ward 1. Ward 3 will feature the lone three-way race with incumbent Kevin Wallace being challenged by Evan Miller and Thomas Roberts. Ward 5 will be a contest between incumbent Jaclyn Smith-Esters and Heather Ziegler Acerra and Ward 7 will be between incumbent Larry Cox and challenger Steve Cheesman. Early voting starts on Feb. 23, the same day that vote-by-mail ballots will start to be sent to voters.
Galesburg Alderman Larry Cox announced Thursday that he is seeking another four years on the City Council, representing the 7th Ward. Cox is the former Public Works Director for the City and has a Master of Public Administration degree and was previously serving in the Sunrise Rotary Club as Secretary and President. In a statement, he shares his recent support for two additional police officers and three new firefighters plus additional funding for the Galesburg Police Department in the City's budget. Cox says he has been a long-time supporter of more funding for streets and sidewalks and believes the amount spent should be that which can be managed mostly with in-house engineering staff. He says does not support using any Motor Fuel Tax funds to make bond payments as others have suggested, adding the city does not currently receive enough funds to meet the city's needs, so using these funds to pay for bonds would be counterproductive On the subject of a new community center
A new challenger has entered the race for Galesburg City Council.
Heather Acerra announced she will challenge the incumbent Jaclyn Smith-Esters to represent Ward 5.
Heather Acerra, a local businesswoman who co-founded building toy company Lux Blox, will run for Galesburg City Council in April. Acerra made the announcement Wednesday, setting up a contest between her and Ward 5 incumbent Jaclyn Smith-Esters, although there is still time for other candidates to pick up signatures. Acerra was also formerly at Knox College as the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Career Services. Acerra is a GHS and Knox College graduate, whose family has lived in Galesburg since the late 1800s. She also holds a Master's Degree in Industrial Relations from Loyola University. Acerra has been a part of such local initiatives in the past as creating Quiet Zones in Galesburg and forming youth programs like the Young Marines Band and an art school from her home. She says in her announcement that the city should implement a "baby step" approach to big projects, and how we invest in our community. She cites an investment in a community center, saying,