Soon after the November 1993 victory that made West Peoria a city, the leaders of this new community settled down to the hard work of governing.
There could be no elected officials until 1995; therefore, a committee of citizens appointed the interim mayor and aldermen. Rewarded for his tireless work in bringing about incorporation, Bryant DeFrance was appointed as the city’s first mayor. On Tuesday, November 9, 1993, Peoria County Judge Barra swore into office this new mayor and eight new aldermen/alderwomen: Joseph Cooper, John Couden, Charles Howard, Dan Kerns, Linda Capps, Mark Lang, Verne Powley, and Dennis Kroll. Michael Mohr, the city’s first treasurer, and Nancy Powley, the city’s first city clerk, were also sworn in. In the spring and winter 1994 issues of the West Peoria newsletter, Mayor DeFrance outlined the following first-year accomplishments of these appointed officials:
- Established working committees and set their goals and objectives.
- Adopted ordinances to address the immediate concerns of citizens.
- Reviewed planning, zoning, and building code issues.
- Appointed a seven-member citizen commission to create a more comprehensive body of ordinances that would meet the needs of the community for the future.
- Established a City Street Department, purchased road equipment and materials from the Township, purchased a new Elgin street sweeper, leased garage and office space from the Township, and hired a Street Department Manager.
- Hired a part-time city administrator.
- Studied options for a sidewalk replacement program.
- Purchased the 2506 W. Rohmann building to serve as city hall.
The city had a bit of financial trouble because the Illinois Department of Revenue had sent about $97,000 in state income tax and other tax revenues to Peoria County instead of to the new city of West Peoria. Finally, in August 1994 after several months of legal discussions, the Peoria County Board agreed to pay West Peoria $61,000 in six equal monthly installments. According to the Peoria Journal Star (PJS), County Board Chairwoman Sharon Kennedy stated, "It's money we owe them because we were given this money in error by the state.” Offering a financial helping hand, Fred Haddad, Jr., set aside $2,547 (one percent of Haddad Market’s January 1994 receipts) to give to the newly formed city. Haddad stated (PJS), "It's just my way of paying West Peoria back." No governmental body escapes criticism; the young West Peoria was not an exception. According to a PJS article—before the 1995 election—some West Peoria officials accused other city officials of holding secret meetings and rushing decisions through the voting process without adequate public notice or public input. Elected Officials Since 1995In time for the 1995 election, a whole new slate of possible city leaders emerged. Running against Mayor DeFrance, Jim Dillon—a businessman and 14-year township trustee—stressed the need for more public input into policy issues, suggesting that (as quoted in the PJS) “Any new proposed ordinances should be publicized, so that the citizens are aware of them." His platform included attention to issues such as the improvement of streets, sewers and sidewalks, the need to retain and attract businesses, crime prevention, and the stabilization of the city's housing stock.
With a vote of 1,037 to 679, Dillon became the second mayor of West Peoria and has retained that position through the last three mayoral elections (1999, 2003, 2007). Only Dan Kerns (Ward 3) and Dennis Kroll (Ward 4) moved from appointed status to elected officials. After having served from 1993 until May 1995, West Peoria’s appointed officials gave up their positions when the first elected officials took over. The West Peoria City Council consists of eight aldermen who serve staggered 4-year terms with two aldermen representing each of West Peoria's four wards. In order to stagger the terms of office of the first council members, the newly elected aldermen drew from a hat to determine the length of their terms. The four-year terms went to Ward 1 Hazel Thomas, Ward 2 Mark Lang, Ward 3 Doug Simmons, and Ward 4 Kathy Crusen. The two-year terms went to Ward 1 Jim Flynn, Ward 2 Merlin (Rocky) Mathewson, Ward 3 Dan Kerns, and Ward 4 Dennis Kroll.
With an election of aldermen every two years, there have been seven elections from 1995-2007. By ward, the following council members (with dates of service in parentheses) have served West Peoria:
Ward 1 –Hazel Thomas (1995 to the present), Jim Flynn (1995-1997), LeRoy Dohm (1997 to the present) Ward 2 – Merlin (Rocky Mathewson (1995 to the present), Mark Lang (1995-1997), Kim Hanks (1997-1999), Gus Bohlman (1999-2001), Brian Hoehne (2001-2006), Jerry Meismer (2007 to the present) Ward 3 – Dan Kerns (1993-2001), Doug Simmons (1995-1999), John Venzon (1999 to the present), Brian Ganson (2001 to the present) Ward 4 – Dennis Kroll (1993-2000), Kathy Crusen (1995-1999), Suzanne Bowles (2000-2001), Dana Johnston (1999-2001), Phil Roberts (2001 to the present), Tom Dwyer (2001 to the present) A few aldermen (Lang, Hanks, Bohlman, Bowles, Johnston) did not complete their full four-year terms. Kroll left in 2000 before the 2001-end of his last four-year term. The following elected officials who have served West Peoria since 1995 are: City Treasurer: Joe Cooper (from 1995-1999), Brian Wake (from 2000-2007), Jennifer Main (from 2007 to the present). City Clerk: Guydeen Roos (1995-1999), Lori Simmons (2000-2006), Carole Stephens (October 2006 to present).Although not an elected position, the City Administrator plays an important role in conducting the city’s business. The following four people have served as City Administrator for West Peoria: David Strohl (October 1994 – February, 2000), Paul Heisig (from May 2000 to February 2001), Linda McClellan-Wright (from April 2001 to June 2002), John F. Carlson (from June 2003 to the present).
City Council Meeting Place and City Hall
In 1993 the newly appointed city council immediately designated regular meeting times to be on the second and fourth Tuesdays in the basement of West Bluff Christian Church, where its first meeting was held on Tuesday, November 9, 1993. As of July 11, 1995, the council changed its meeting place to the West Peoria Township Building at 1322 N. Hillside Court. Since the winter of 2006 after the collapse of the West Peoria Township building, the city council has held its meetings in the back area of city hall.
There was no city hall until the spring of 1994, when West Peoria purchased the brick building at 2506 W. Rohmann to serve as the West Peoria City Hall. The building originally constructed as a variety store later housed the Charm Beauty Salon for many years and later an insurance office. Just prior to becoming city hall, the building had been occupied by the city’s Oriental market with which the new city hall shared space for a short time. For a while, after the city took over the whole building, one wall was a plastic tarp behind which major construction was taking place. In the interim, the city clerk, city administrator, bookkeeper, and zoning officer crammed their desks into a rather small space. In 2002 the L-shaped counter at the entrance to the building was added.
Since the computer age was well under way by 1994, city hall was equipped with brand new computers. By 1998 plans were underway for the city’s website
www.westpeoria.com at a cost of $900, and e-mail access to the city staff was established. However, the city of West Peoria had yet to learn one rather hard lesson about computer protocol. In 2000 by some mishap or misunderstanding (PJS account), six years of documentation and research were wiped out. All that was left was the old-fashioned paper copies of resolutions, ordinances, manuals, budgets, grants, research, and other documents the city had produced since its incorporation in 1993. Needless to say, the city soon set up a policy about maintaining and backing up electronic records, etc.
City Council Actions
As might be expected in any typical city, land use and zoning issues produced most of any conflict experienced during these first fifteen years of incorporation.
The new city in August 1994 lost its opposition to a parking lot at 211 N. Arthur, where Jumer eventually leveled a two-story house to provide space for an additional thirty vehicles. Alderman Dan Kerns (PJS) complained that “Jumer's has already cut down a 100-year-old tree on the site of the proposed lot. This is the entry way to our community." Mayor DeFrance (PJS) argued, “A parking lot "goes against the comprehensive plan of Peoria County and will go against our West Peoria plan. It should be residential." The young city had not yet developed a zoning ordinance of its own at the time.
In July 1995 West Peoria did not yet have zoning authority because a comprehensive plan and zoning code was not finished. However, the Peoria County Board agreed with the West Peoria City Council’s desire to reject a plan to rezone a residential piece of land at 417 N. Western Avenue (at the site of the former Ernie's Dairy Dream) to allow the Illini-Swallow Lines to set up a station for four or five 40-foot-long buses to stop every day on a route from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Davenport, Iowa. According to the PJS, about thirty-five residents had turned out at a special West Peoria City Council meeting to oppose the plan because “a bus station shouldn't go into the residential neighborhood because the buses would create too much noise, spew diesel fumes and threaten the safety of children.” Mayor Jim Dillon added, "I think it would be a nuisance to the neighborhood."
In December 1999 another conflict arose over a zoning issue. Upgrade, a not-for-profit housing organization, proposed building a 48-unit senior apartment complex on a seven-acre vacant lot near the Rohmann and Swords intersection. To accommodate the project, rezoning from medium density residential to multifamily residential (with a special use clause added) would have been required. According to the PJS, residents were less than trusting because “a similar development next door to the proposed site suffered mismanagement problems and changed hands over the years until Lutheran Social Services opened there.” Despite the objections and pressure from about twenty-five West Peorians, the city’s planning commission voted 4-2 to recommend the rezoning.
Continued concerns—including added density and traffic congestion—led to a petition containing more than 200 names. Finally, in late February 2000, the City Council voted to reject the rezoning that would have made this project a reality. Today a similar conflict is ongoing.
Certainly, these situations reveal that during the first fifteen-years of incorporation West Peorians have proven their desire to control their own destiny—the mantra that led to the 1993 victory to become a city.
The sidewalk replacement program—the impetus that launched the incorporation efforts—has been a success. One of the greatest proofs of success is the Rohmann Avenue reconstruction project to provide street resurfacing, new sidewalks, new storm sewers, and new bike baths. The project—paid for by the city of West Peoria, Peoria County, and a $100,000 Illinois First grant—was completed in three phases: Western to Sterling, Sterling to Ashland, and Ashland to Swords, the final phase just recently completed.
West Peoria continues to be a community with a small town atmosphere where neighbors help neighbors. That community spirit is most noticeable when snow or wind storms cause damage and/or inconvenience in the city. In 1998 after a windstorm, Mayor Dillon commented (PJS), "I was out working with the street crew that night, and people were coming out of their homes to help," said Dillon. "They were picking up branches and getting their saws to cut up trees in neighbors' yards. I'll never forget that." That’s West Peoria!
Thanks to City Clerk Carole Stephens for helping with the research for this article.
