Belleville’s City Council is going to get a new member. Here’s what you need to know.
Since Roger Wigginton took his Ward 8 seat as a Belleville alderman representing the west side in 2015, he consistently voiced his opinion on issues facing the City Council.
But those opinions, at least as a City Council member in official meetings, have come to a halt because Wigginton recently moved from Ward 8 to Ward 4, and he had to resign his seat.
State law requires aldermen to live in the ward where they were elected.
Wigginton said he would like to see the state law changed to allow aldermen to complete their terms when they move from one ward to another but remain within the city.
Wigginton was elected in 2015 and re-elected to another four-year term in 2019. He did not plan to run in the 2023 election.
“I wish I could have finished out that last one year because I really do enjoy working with the department heads, the mayor, working with the people in my ward,” Wigginton said.
“There’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction at the end of the day when you see all the hard work really pay off.”
Wigginton recently sold his Ward 8 home on West Main Street and he now lives above his clothing store, Don Rodger’s Ltd. at 6727 W. Main St., which is in Ward 4.
West Main Street is the dividing line between Ward 8 and Ward 4.
New council member for Ward 8
Mayor Patty Gregory is tasked with nominating a new council member and the City Council would then be asked to approve that appointment.
“Since I have 60 days to find the appropriate person to fill this vacancy on our council in Ward 8, I intend to use this time to find the perfect person to add to our council,” Gregory said in a statement.
“We appreciate Roger’s service to our community over the last seven years, and we look forward to working with the new person selected to fill this vacancy in the near future.”
The city has eight wards and there are two aldermen for each ward.
Nora Sullivan, who was elected in 2021, is the other Ward 8 member on the City Council.
Belleville City Council issues
Wigginton supported former Mayor Mark Eckert instead of Gregory in the election last year but he said that since Gregory took office, he has worked to cooperate with her on issues in the city.
For example, he agreed with the Gregory administration’s proposal to close downtown festivals at 9 p.m. for security reasons, but the council voted 8–5 on Feb. 7 to allow the festivals to stay open until 11 p.m.
“The first time somebody gets shot or killed downtown, that’s the end of the events,” Wigginton said. “I still think the council made a huge mistake on that.”
Police Chief Bill Clay had told the council his officers have had to deal with an increase in large, late-night fights and unruly crowds of youths at downtown street festivals in recent years and that’s why the department proposed 9 p.m. closing time.
Wigginton, who previously served on a board that supported the former Lindenwood University-Belleville, said he was pleased with Gregory’s administration’s efforts to get new tenants into the former Lindenwood site, which previously was Belleville West High School.
City officials said earlier this year that Southwestern Illinois College will move its police academy to the site on West Main Street; the Illinois State Police will open an institute for forensic science and criminal investigation; the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission will offer continuing-education classes for police officers; and the Southwestern Illinois Jets Basketball Club will lease space.
To improve Belleville’s economy, Wigginton suggested city officials continue to work to attract development along Illinois 15 and promote the revitalization of older homes.
Wigginton’s review and outlook
“I have really enjoyed representing the 8th Ward,” Wigginton said.
“I’m not a politician,” he said. “I’m a businessman that got into politics and, you know, I believe in customer service so I believe in taking care of my constituents.”
Wigginton, 73, said business at his clothing store has been going well and he plans to keep it running as he has for over 40 years.
Along with his seven years on the City Council, Wigginton served on the city’s zoning board for five years and also on the boards of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce and the West Belleville Promotional Committee
As far as running for public office again, he doesn’t have any immediate plans but, “You never say never,” he said with a laugh.
“I think I’m going to have a new life without all the meetings, committee meetings,” he said.
“I’ve got seven grandsons so I’ve got a lot of baseball games and soccer games to go to.”
Five of his grandsons live in the area and two are in Austin, Texas.
And what about those opinions at City Council meetings?
“We’ll just see what happens,” Wigginton said. “I mean, I do love politics, I have to tell ya. I think I’m pretty good at it.”
