Aurora debate brings sparks

Each of Aurora's three mayoral candidates laid out their plans for the next four years Wednesday night during the first of three scheduled candidate forums.

Residents nearly filled Aurora's Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd. for Wednesday night's forum, hosted by the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Quad County African-American Chamber of Commerce.

The candidates discussed their platforms while answering presubmitted questions from members of each of the three chambers.

Alderman-at-Large Richard Irvin, who had sign-waving supporters stationed at nearly every intersection surrounding the Copley Theatre, told of his service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and how that made him want to dedicate the rest of his life to public service. Borrowing a line from President Obama, Irving also pledged to bring "change Aurora can believe in" while also promising to "roll back" recent property tax increases used to fund the new police station being built just west of Farnsworth Avenue and Indian Trail Road.

"They call us the City of Lights and I don't believe we're called the city of lights because we were the first community with electric street lamps," Irvin said, waxing poetic. "They call us the city of lights because of the light of hope that shines in each and every one of your eyes; hope that we can be better, that we can make a difference, that we have a government that won't raise our taxes..."

Third Ward Alderman Stephanie Kifowit also took shots at Mayor Tom Weisner, in what was at times a two-on one battle, by promising to rid the city of it's strong mayor and chief of staff philosophy by hiring a full-time city administrator to handle the daily duties of the city and "rid the mayor's office of politics."

"We are the only community where a political person takes money in one hand and doles out permits with the other," Kifowit said, referring to Weisner's hefty war chest.

For his part, Weisner admitted the city has not run perfectly the last four years but warned it's been much better than Irvin or Kifowit would have voters believe.

During his first term, Weisner boasted, crime rates sunk to a 30-year low, the city has become a leader for instituting eco-friendly initiatives and he said, the city has made "great strides" in attracting new development throughout the city.

"The 1980s brought a redevelopment of the downtown project that never happened. In 2001 Aurora began the River City project and not a shovel of dirt was ever turned," Weisner said. "Since I took office in 2005, phase one of the Riverside Plaza is complete and beautiful condos sit on the (Fox) river's west edge. Waubonsee Community College has broken ground on a downtown campus. The simple fact is, for the first time in a long time, we are making progress in our downtown."

In response to a question about instituting a minority business participation program that would link local minority owned businesses with other contractors, each of the candidates said they would support the creation of such a program.

"Absolutely. Currently we seen 100 million dollars a year on city contracts," Irvin said. "Women and minority-owned companies get 2 percent of that. That's a shame in a city where minorities make up 55 percent of our overall population.

Candidates also discussed the city's need to spend $84,000 a year for a lobbyist.

Irvin and Kifowit questioned the need while Weisner supported the use of a lobbyist in Springfield and Washington, D.C.

"Our elected officials and mayor should be making a joint effort to lobby for Aurora. The mayor needs to be working with representatives and senators to portray a unified front and work together," Kifowit said. "Doing that would eliminate the lobbyist expense."

Each also expressed the need to attract visitors and shoppers to Aurora's local businesses and not just the outlet mall and Paramount Theater.

"We need to continue working to get rid of the crime and gang stigma and let folks know they can feel safe coming (into the city's downtown)," Weisner said. "We're making very real progress."

The next forum will be held March 12 at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium.