Peoria City Council 4th District representative Andre Allen is seeking reelection next spring.
The first-term council member won election in 2021, after his opponent, Steve Kouri, withdrew from the race to fulfill an appointment to the Illinois Human Rights Commission.
Allen believes he is well positioned to effect change in a second term.
“When I first got elected, one of my mentors told me, he said, ‘Andre, there’s two things that matter. That the trash gets picked up on time, and that you’ve got police to arrest the bad guys. Everything else is icing on the cake,’” Allen said. “And so, you need somebody in this role who understands what it takes to be a productive city council member, the things that truly matter to constituents.”
There’s a wide range of needs and desires that matter to Allen’s constituents. The 4th District covers much of west and northwest Peoria — from the Shoppes at Grand Prairie to some of the city’s impoverished neighborhoods.
Allen said he considers his district one of the most diverse in the city, in racial, social and economic terms.
“I’ve done my best to just be very accessible to all of our constituents,” he said. “You know, my best ability has been my availability in this role.”
Allen cites his monthly “Coffee with Constituents” meetings as an example of that availability. Other accomplishments he’s proud of include road improvements, business development and mini-grants for neighborhood projects.
Allen is chief officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Peoria County, a role he took on during his first term.
Heading into a second term, Allen said he would be prepared to face challenges like ongoing concerns about public safety and growing alarm at the cost of public pensions.
“Our city manager has articulated to us through our budget discussions that, you know, our mounting public pension costs are going to be something that we’re going to continue to keep monitoring,” he said. “That is something that is only bloating as time goes on.”
Continued support of the growth and revitalization of downtown Peoria is another priority for Allen.
“Because that’s truly, it’s going to be a tide that raises all districts in our city,” he said.
Allen expects to begin ramping up campaign activities after November’s general election. The election with city council districts on the ballot is April 1, 2025.
