Both candidates running to represent District 1 on the Peoria City Council for the next four years envision a brighter future for the city, but they hold different viewpoints on how to achieve that goal.
First-term incumbent Denise Jackson says she wants to continue serving in her role to help keep Peoria on the right track.
“The wheels of government just don’t move fast enough, so it really does take at least a couple of terms to start your agenda. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface,” said Jackson, a teacher and former broadcast journalist who unseated Denise Moore four years ago.
“I had mentioned early on to just a handful of folks when I was initially elected, that if I did not see real transformational change, I would not seek re-election. I’m happy to say we are on the pathway to real progress, progress we have not seen in a long time.”
Challenger James Kemper believes Peoria needs to prioritize reducing crime, facilitating job creation and encouraging business growth to increase city revenue.
“I work with small business owners, I work with entrepreneurs, I work with developers. And what I do with them is I help them to get through a lot of the red tape that cities have. I also help them to work out redevelopment agreements,” said Kemper, Design Director at Demonica Kemper Architects.
“I believe that the City of Peoria needs someone like me with that unique skill set to be able to attract new businesses, be able to help existing businesses grow.”
Kemper stressed a need to maintain core services such as road maintenance and making sure police have the proper resources to combat violent crime.
“We need more money to fix those problems. We can’t do it through raising taxes,” he said. “What we can do it through is bringing more businesses in, growing existing businesses, expanding our tax base.”
Jackson said helping business owners is desirable, but it’s only one part of the solutions.
“I don’t think anybody on the council is opposed to businesses coming to the Peoria. We all want that,” she said. “But by the same token, in order to support businesses, we have to have healthy, vibrant, strong neighborhoods, places where people will want to come to and live and they’re able to find decent, affordable housing.”
District changes
District 1 has traditionally encompassed Peoria’s South Side and also includes the Warehouse District and portions of the West Bluff following the latest redistricting.
“It’s not just South Side issues; it’s not just issues around Bradley. It’s three very different areas,” said Kemper, who lost a bid for the District 2 seat in 2021 and was later a finalist for the at-large appointment that went to Kiran Velpula. “I am smack dab in the middle of them, and I do want to be that council person that listens to all three areas, not just one.”
Jackson said the updated makeup of the district has given her an opportunity to meet her new constituents and get a feel for their biggest concerns.
“I’ve been up and around that area several times recently, and one of the concerns that came to mind was the roadway along Sterling and Gale,” said Jackson. “If you drive that, you’ll see it’s the road is just horrendous. But I don’t think it’s been targeted or on the list for redevelopment, as we’ve seen in some of the other places.
“So infrastructure, road redevelopment and I’m sure, safer communities; residents are concerned about keeping their communities safe and quiet and vibrant.”
Kemper said he has a different intersection in mind when it comes to needing an improvement.
“The local issue that really motivated me that nobody’s listening to is our intersection here at Main and University,” he said. “Any crowd I go to, I say, ‘Hey, do you avoid this intersection?’ Every single person raises their hand. We need to do something about it.
“We have people in office right now – not all of them, some people in office – that just aren’t listening to the constituents, and I want to be that person in office that does listen to my neighbors, listen to my district.”
Jackson lists taking steps to curb illegal dumping, making improvements to alley lighting, and addressing stormwater flooding among actions that have benefitted District 1 neighborhoods during her tenure.
“We’ve begun the process of rebuilding; the South Side has lost more residents than any community in the city of Peoria. So as a result of that, we need to deal with the lack of decent, affordable homes,” she said. “These are things that are actually taking place, but it takes time to see them into fruition.”
Crime and public safety
Kemper said he views crime as the biggest issue facing Peoria, and he believes the city should focus on two approaches.
“One of them, we need to give the police the resources they need: the tools, the people. Our police officers do a great job, and we need to make sure that they have enough and the right things available to them to do their job,” he reiterated.
“That's one. Another approach toward crime is the generation of jobs, and what creates jobs? Well, businesses do. So if we can expand our existing businesses, we can bring in new businesses, we’ll have jobs. Where there's jobs, there's less crime.”
Jackson acknowledged crime is a priority but suggested progress is being made, pointing to the Peoria Police Department’s online dashboard showing crime statistics trending downward.
“We have had problems with juveniles. We have to find ways to reach out to the families. One of the things I have learned is that building trust with students takes time. Building trust, not only with students, but with their families, takes time. We have to find a way to reach some of those kids that are high risk on the fence for violence, and some of them are dealing with trauma,” she said.
“So we find ourselves trying to provide wrap around services, social-emotional support. Sometimes people are not always ready to receive it. So it takes a village, and you continue the process.”
Homelessness, affordable housing
Jackson said she’s encouraged by the council’s actions to support agencies such as Lula NFP, Phoenix Community Development Services, Heart of Illinois United Way, and the Home For All Continuum of Care in their work to assist Peoria’s unhoused residents.
“The city is really trying to provide support to those agencies that have had boots on the ground for years, in terms of reaching out to the unhoused population, and they've done a wonderful job,” said Jackson. “I think the best we can do is to continue to provide support.
“One of the biggest criticisms or comments we're hearing is a lack of housing, a lack of readily available housing, housing that has support services. Hopefully, during this process, relationships are being built and solidified, and hopefully this will lead to some positive long-term consequences.”
Kemper said he agreed with the council’s decision to prohibit encampments on public property.
“Unhoused people is it is a problem around our nation. It’s something that is not going to be solved by me or anybody else on the council,” he said. “I do not believe that anybody should be able to go in and create tent structures anywhere they want. That would be called trespassing.
“One of the approaches to the unhoused is to nip it in the bud and look for state or federal programs for substance abuse issues, for mental health – those are two categories that we as a society really need to focus on. At the city level, we don't have the resources to do this, and we're not qualified to do this. But there are state and federal programs that are.”
Kemper said he believes some sort of master plan is needed “from the river to the bluff” for housing opportunities.
“Not just the affordable housing, but the entire area. How do we master plan that? How do we set it up for success? How do we create the infrastructure and zone things where this is an area that would be set up for success for affordable housing, for whatever it is – fill in the blank?” he said.
“That is not my profession; that’s an urban planning professional that does that. I believe that it would be a great idea for the City of Peoria to hire a very qualified urban planner to come in and help us with our problems. Listen to the neighbors, listen to the council, listen city-wide. What are things that we want and how do we want to do them? Let them steer and guide us a bit.”
Jackson highlighted the under-construction Churchview Garden Homes and Habitat for Humanity’s development of single-family homes at the former McKinley Elementary School site as steps toward meeting Peoria’s affordable housing needs. She said improving roads in the district is another critical piece.
“In order to make our neighborhoods attractive, the infrastructure must look good,” she said. “Who would want to build blocks of beautiful homes or subdivisions in an area where the roadway is just jacked up?”
Along with a need for more affordable housing, Jackson said more needs to be done on addressing workforce readiness and food insecurity in District 1.
Property taxes, city finances
Kemper said he would’ve voted against the property tax levy increase the city council passed last year while keeping the tax levy rate unchanged.
“I feel strongly that our taxes are already too high. There are ways of getting more money to Peoria, like I’ve said before: expand existing businesses, bring in new businesses. That is where we’re going to get more money, not through more taxation,” he said, adding that city officials need to be good financial stewards and spend money wisely.
“It's hard-earned taxpayers’ money, and we really do need to value how it's being put to good use, making sure that what happens actually does what it's supposed to do. Many, many times I see programs that are implemented and paid for, nothing really happens. So I think it's the job of the city council, really, take responsibility.”
Jackson was part of the 6-3 majority vote in favor of raising the tax levy amount to $32.3 million with the levy rate staying flat at 1.555%.
“That was done with the mindset that we've got obligations with the police and fire pension, and until we're able to shore up new revenue, then we've got to be diligent about how we use our money,” she said, pointing to anticipated downtown development and the possible relocation of Boyd Gaming’s local casino operations as opportunities to boost Peoria’s revenue stream.
“The city is constantly trying to position itself to make itself attractive. We are looking to beautify and enhance our downtown; our downtown is the crown jewel of the city, and we have got to continue to make it the kind of place we are proud of. I believe once we've secured the last of the funding for the revised riverfront project, we'll be on our way.”
