DeKalb 7th Ward aldermanic candidate talks development, public safety

DeKALB – DeKalb’s 7th Ward aldermanic candidate John Walker told voters this week that he wants to lower taxes and support responsible housing management and area businesses if elected.

Walker, a DeKalb-area rental housing advocate, UPS driver and youth mentor, hosted a meet-and-greet event Thursday for his 2023 campaign for DeKalb 7th Ward alderman ahead of the April consolidated elections.

Walker is vying to fill a seat on the DeKalb City Council that currently is occupied by Alderman Anthony Faivre. Hosted at Red Roof Inn and Suites, the event gave potential voters the chance to learn more about Walker and his campaign.

Among the issues that Walker’s platform is campaigning on is lower taxes, responsible housing management, small-business entrepreneurship and smart economic development.

Walker said the city is in a good position to expand on economic development.

“I believe it’s a great start, for sure,” Walker said. “We have all that land out there on the south side of town. Again, we have to take our hat off … to [City Manager] Bill Nicklas for honestly rolling up his sleeves and getting that underway.”

When asked whether the city should consider updated policies related to incentivizing developments to do business in town so as to lessen the burden on taxpayers, Walker said there’s a time and place for everything.

“To get people here or to get people to want to be here, there’s some things you have to give up,” Walker said. “It’s give and take. You can’t just take all. You can’t do that in any facet of your life, just get everything. I think right now, with some of the things that are going in the direction right now, they have to.”

Walker acknowledged what he called existing economic disparities in the city.

“I honestly believe the south side needs more restaurants, more things to do,” Walker said. “That’s the thing I never understood about DeKalb is how you always put your effort in one part of the city while the other part of the city suffers. It doesn’t make sense.”

Walker said public safety is another issue that he is championing in his campaign.

Noting the City Council’s recent passage of the crime-free housing initiative, Walker said he supports the actions taken by the city to beef up protections for landlords and tenants while tightening regulations.

When asked how he could help unite Northern Illinois University and DeKalb’s north and south sides to better promote safety, Walker suggested that NIU officials should work with the city more.

“Somehow, some way, we have to come to a fine median, whether it’s money, whether it’s time, effort to start building up our Greek row here in DeKalb,” Walker said.

It’s a tall order, Walker said – but it’s a challenge he said he’d be up for if elected.

“It’s a blame game,” he said. “We need to get off that.”

The 2023 consolidated election will be April 4.