Randy Randolph, candidate for City Council Ward 2 in Belleville, IL
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More on the election for Belleville City Council Ward 2
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Name: Randy Randolph
Political party (if applicable): Independent
Age as of April 6, 2021: 36
Campaign website or social media page: fb.me/rrward2
Office seeking: Alderman Ward 2
Are you an incumbent? No
Previous offices sought: Alderman Ward 2
Occupation: Operations manager, St. Clair County EMA
Education: High school
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Public 9-1-1 and emergency preparedness education
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Friends and Families for Belleville
Why are you running? I’m running for Alderman because I believe Belleville can do better. Belleville is faced with issues of public safety, infrastructure and economic development. We have to address these issues to ensure a prosperous future for our city.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? The issue I believe is at the top of the list is public safety. Our police officers do a great job with what staffing and resources they have. But City Hall has consistently understaffed the police department, creating an unsafe environment for our businesses and neighborhoods. We need to be better stewards of the taxpayer dollars and get the police department back to full force.
Why should people vote for you? I believe I am the best candidate for Ward 2 Alderman based upon my knowledge and experience. As the operations manager for St. Clair County EMA/911, I am responsible for ensuring that contracts for products and services are negotiated to reduce cost and are fiscally responsible. Additionally, I assist in the planning of multi-million dollar budgets every year, using taxpayer money in the most efficient way possible while still providing a quality of service they expect.
Belleville Tax Increment Finance District 3, or TIF 3, is expiring this year. Do you agree with the proposal to extend the expiration date for another 12 years? Why/why not? I believe that TIF 3 needs to be evaluated to determine if there are other ways the city could cover the costs that the TIF brings in. Once all that information is available, then an educated decision could be made moving forward.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on parts of Belleville’s economy. How would you grade the city’s response and, if you are elected, what would you do to help businesses and residents? First and foremost, the city should have been more prepared for a devastating event such as COVID-19. Having no emergency funds in the bank had a disastrous outcome, threatening the layoffs of some of the most essential employees we have - police and firefighters. Moving forward, the city must allocate funds for reserves so that we can weather future storms. As for businesses and residents, we can do a much better job of getting the word out regarding opportunities for grants and other programs. The city needs to stop being a silo and work with its community, county and state partners to ensure that the economy flourishes. The city also needs to stop cherry picking who they help and treat the community as a whole.
What is your opinion of how the Belleville Police Department handles public safety in the city? Do you think the city needs more or fewer police officers? If you want additional officers, how would you fund that cost? I believe the men and women of the Belleville Police Department do a great job with what they have. But it’s no secret that they are understaffed. We need to get more police on the streets, protecting our businesses and patrolling our neighborhoods. The city can be much more fiscally responsible. If we tighten our belt and stop wasting money on no-bid contracts and shop for the best deals, we can afford the basic needs of the city.
Belleville has offered various tax incentives to support businesses in recent years. What are your plans to increase economic development in the city and how would you use tax incentives? We need a full-time economic development director who is actively working to bring businesses to Belleville. We need to use tax incentives in a way that truly provides a return on the investment and not just as handouts.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 11:17 AM.