BELLEVILLE — Mayoral candidate Joe Hayden on Friday added three more candidates to run with his coalition in the April election.
Hayden, a Ward 5 alderman, now has seven candidates running with him as the Unified Independent Coalition for All of Belleville.
Kent G. McCoy will run for city treasurer, Garrett G. Peek will run for Ward 1 alderman and Trenton A. "Trent" Galetti will run for Ward 7 alderman.
McCoy is a certified public accountant with McCoy and Associates. He stated in a news release that the city treasurer position is vital to a system of checks and balances, but he does not believe the role has to be full time.
"As a certified public accountant, Kent McCoy brings immediate credibility, can serve the statutory and ordinance requirements and do so on a part-time basis, thus donating the rest of the salary back to put more police on the streets," Hayden said in a news release.
Kent McCoy is the brother of Belleville News-Democrat editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy.
McCoy will run against incumbent Treasurer Jerry Turner, who is part of Mayor Mark Eckert's party, and Ward 4 Alderman Dean Hardt, an independent aligned with mayoral candidate and Ward 7 Alderman Phil Elmore.
Peek, who owns Melodic Rhythms in Belleville, stated in a news release that he shares Hayden's pledge to reopen the police branch in the west end to stabilize that part of the city.
"Because Peek is a business owner, he knows that a safe community is a prosperous community," Hayden said.
Peek will run against incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Ken Kinsella, who is part of Eckert's Belleville Good Government Party.
Galetti is an attorney with Brinker & Doyen Attorneys at Law and previously served in the military as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.
"Over the past many years I've seen my taxes go up, while the true value of my home goes down because the reality is that Belleville is changing," Galetti said. "Some wish to argue that it is more perception, yet that perception becomes reality. When I spoke to peers and colleagues about my concerns and ambition to get involved, they instantly told me to contact Alderman Joe Hayden, so I did."
Galetti will run against Victoria Weygandt, a Good Government Party candidate, for Elmore's seat. Elmore, who's running for mayor, has not announced a candidate for that seat.
Hayden said he plans to announce more candidates on Wednesday, the last day for interested candidates to file petitions to be on the ballot.
Earlier Friday, Hayden appeared on Bob Romanik's radio show and told the host that the city can't bring in a new mayor without changing the makeup of the City Council.
Incumbents in Wards two, three and eight remain uncontested.
Contact reporter Jacqueline Lee at jlee@bnd.com or 239-2655. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/BNDBelleville.
Contact reporter Jacqueline Lee at jlee@bnd.com or 239-2655. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/BNDBelleville.
