After a little more than a year away from the Peoria City Council, longtime member Chuck Grayeb wants to return to City Hall.
In a social media post late Monday, Grayeb announced his intention to seek one of the five at-large council seats in next spring’s municipal election.
“I think Peoria has a great future, but we do have to avoid some pitfalls,” Grayeb said Tuesday in an interview with WCBU. “I think I'll bring some experience back to the table if elected this coming spring.”
Grayeb has spent 24 years on the city council, including three previous at-large terms and most recently three terms representing District 2. He left the horseshoe last May after falling short in a three-way mayoral race.
“Obviously, one can have an impact being on the city council just as one can have an impact being the mayor,” he said. “I think that, given my experience being both a district councilman and an at-large councilman, I'll be able to assist the district representatives in what they're trying to accomplish.”
The 76-year-old Grayeb, who also served 33 years on the Peoria Board of Education, said retirement is “not in my DNA.”
“I love the city. I've lived here my entire life, and I just am absolutely committed to see Peoria continue to progress,” he said. “I think I can bring my expertise and knowledge back to the table, so we'll see what happens.”
Grayeb said he doesn’t view his candidacy as challenging any of the five current at-large council members in particular.
“I’m not running against anybody. I just want to be among the top five vote-getters,” he said. “It’s a different role than a district council person. You're able to work across all the district lines, and legislation would impact all the districts.
“Not that you can't do that as a district councilman, but the at-larges can be very helpful with assisting the district people.”
Grayeb said he decided to announce his candidacy now to have plenty of time to get the required 1,000 nomination petition signatures.
“We have to file our petitions by about the third week of October, and getting 1,000 registered voters, that's not a small task,” he said.
“It's a lot of work, and you have to have enough time for your supporters to get petitions out and about and returned. So that's why we had to announce when we did.”
None of the current at-large council members have formally announced re-election plans, although Mike Vespa is seeking a judgeship in the 10th Judicial Circuit this November and said a council race “probably would be a hard pass.”
The primary election is scheduled for Feb. 23, with the general municipal election April 6.
