Potential Joliet City Council candidates grows to 14 with only one incumbent in the mix

The list of potential candidates taking petitions for the April election for Joliet City Council expanded to 14 in the past week, and that includes only one incumbent.

Three at-large council seats will be on the ballot April 6.

James Capparelli, a one-time finalist for the still unfilled city manager job, is the latest to take out petitions.

Capparelli is the second former candidate for the city manager job to take petitions for the council election, following Marty Shanahan, a former city attorney and former interim city manager.

Capparelli, a Joliet attorney, cited the council’s failure to hire a city manager as one reason for running.

Referring to "the current dysfunction of the City Council" in the city manager search, Capparelli said, "We need to get this done and move forward."

Capparelli also is a member of the Joliet Plan Commission that voted unanimously for the controversial NorthPoint Development project, which is likely to be a campaign issue.

The 13th person to take out petitions, Jeremy Brzycki, joined an anti-NorthPoint car caravan that circled City Hall on Tuesday.

"We just really want to keep attention on the subject," Brzycki said before the caravan started. "We need to keep up the pressure."

Brzycki is part of the newly formed Working Families Joliet Political Action Committee, which is seeking to put new people on the City Council.

So far, the only incumbent to take out petitions is Councilwoman Jan Quillman.

Councilman Michael Turk said Friday that he is still undecided while trying to assure he has support from family and union leaders.

"I've gone to about half the people I want to talk to," Turk said. "I'm still doing that process. Then I'll decide."

Councilman Don Dickinson announced in August that he will not seek re-election.

Others who have taken out petitions are: James Lanham, Cesar Guerrero, Hudson Hollister, Isiah Williams Jr., Glenda Wright-McCullum, Brian Bettenhausen, Janean Jackson, Robert Wunderlich, Lindsey Heavener and Joe Clement.