WGLT Hosts Candidate Forum

NORMAL – WGLT partnered with the League of Women Voters of McLean County to host a candidate forum on Tuesday night at the Alumni Center.

The panel was made up of seven candidates who are running for positions on the Bloomington City Council. With only one of the seven running uncontested, the competition is heating up.

Karen Schmidt has overseen Ward 6 for 20 years and her opponent Jenn Carrillo is not satisfied with the way things have been run in the past. She is concerned that the board has not made the best decisions, especially when it comes to the revitalization of the downtown area.

She believes that the downtown task force members have created what she calls, “solid, achievable and inexpensive” proposals that could give the area a new life. She thinks that the basics like parking issues and trash need to be dealt with, but these concerns have been continuously set aside.

“I have watched those recommendations sit on a shelf because some people on the council didn’t want to even entertain the idea of a joint library and transportation hub,” Carrillo said.

“Even my opponent who takes pride in always being open to conversation didn’t show up to that meeting. So I think we need to turn this around and we need to honor that that conversation has happened.”

The April 2 election early voting is already underway. Same day voter registration is available in the Bone Student Center. Check online for hours of operation.

Grace Barbic contributed to this story.