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| Ward Six Candidates Differ on GREDA's Future With City |
The two candidates for one of the seats on the Galesburg City Council a week from today don't completely agree on what the city's economic development future should be.
Incumbent Wayne Allen and resident and former radio news reporter Joni McGarry are vying for the open city council seat from the sixth ward, and both were a part of a candidates forum Monday night at Galesburg City Hall heard live on WGIL.
The candidates were asked if the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association should be a part of any economic development plan. Allen says not only should the city hire a full-time economic development director, it needs to start working with other groups. "(An economic development director) needs to work with the regional groups: Peoria, the (Quad) Cities, Macomb," Allen said. "Because whether we like it or not, we aren't an island. We've got roads connecting to those places."
Allen suggested some sort of public-private partnership needs to be worked into the mix eventually. McGarry says GREDA needs to be involved now, but not until the City Council gets its act together. "The City Council, the City administration, and the mayor need to sit down and figure out what it is they want first," McGarry said. "They need to be listening to the people, finding out what the people want, then coming together, negotiating what the people want among themselves."
Several candidates suggested partnering with everyone possible, while realizing that GREDA has made strides toward change.
CLICK HERE to download Monday night's forum.
(Sixth Ward Incumbent Wayne Allen, left, and opponent Joni McGarry, right, listen during Monday night's forum at Galesburg City Hall. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 03 30 09 by Newsroom |
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