Seven vying for four seats on Elgin City Council

Seven people - including a former city councilwoman and four incumbents - filed nominating petitions to run for four seats on the Elgin City Council in April election.

Brandon Yaniz, who has never run for office; Corey Dixon, who serves on Elgin's planning and zoning commission; and former Elgin councilwoman Brenda Rodgers, along with incumbents John Prigge, Carol Rauschenberger, Terry Gavin and Rich Dunne, are vying for 4-year terms. The mayor's seat won't be on the ballot in April.

Monday was the deadline to file for a spot on the April 4 ballot.

Candidates needed at least 71 signatures in support of their run for office, equal to 1 percent of the total votes cast in the last mayoral election.

Yaniz, who owns a business consulting company downtown, said the city needs to behave more like a business and treat residents as customers.

Dixon, who is serving his second term on the planning and zoning commission, works as a caseworker for the Illinois Department of Human Services. He wants to focus on economic development, especially for downtown, and add transparency to the city's budget process, he said.

Rodgers, a Realtor, served on the city council from 2003 to 2007 and lost a re-election bid in 2009; she also unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for Kane County recorder of deeds in 2012. She, too, wants to focus on bringing jobs to Elgin, which she did in her first term, she said.

Dunne is seeking a third term and works as a fire program specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said he wants to focus on improving the city's code compliance department.

Gavin, an insurance broker, said he will continue to foster economic development in Elgin. He was elected in 2013 after serving one term in the 1990s.

Prigge, an auctioneer who is running for a third term, said his focus will continue to be on keeping spending in check and increase transparency.

Rauschenberger, who's vying for a second term, said she wants to preserve Elgin's "excellent" services, including fire, police, water and public works; continue to help downtown become a more lively urban center; and collaborate with Elgin Area School District U-46 to serve residents.