La Salle mayoral candidates talk city finances, local businesses ahead of April 1 election

As the April 1 election nears, La Salle residents have the most crowded mayoral race in the Illinois Valley.

Incumbent Jeff Grove is challenged by businessman Gary Hammers, advocate Jamie Hicks and resident Tyler Thompson for mayor.

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The candidates have differing viewpoints in their Shaw Local News Network questionnaires about the greatest issue facing the city; however, all mentioned improving the tax base in various ways.

Grove said that growing the general fund remains the city’s biggest opportunity for growth.

“The city has currently been doing this by cutting spending, applying for and getting grants, and by growing our sales tax base, primarily in downtown,” he said.

Thompson said he believes a lack of funding is stalling the maintenance and development of the city. He plans to address the issue with “The Greater La Salle Project,” which explores whether local communities surrounding La Salle will take a vote to merge with the city.

“Which offers two options, the larger population size for more grant/tax money,” he said. “The second option, for example, if Oglesby were to merge with La Salle, the funds that are being used for the mayor, alderman’s and salaried officials that we already have would be used instead to fund other projects that would be more beneficial to ‘The Greater La Salle Project,’ such as roads and sidewalks being fixed.”

Hammers said the city’s poor tax revenue is a direct result of inadequate support for local businesses, adding that when small businesses struggle, so does the city’s local economy.

“Instead of fostering an environment where small businesses can thrive, we’ve seen policies that favor large corporations or fail to provide the necessary resources for local entrepreneurs,” he said.

Hicks believes the greatest issue is a lack of transparency, accountability and responsible leadership in local government.

“Corruption, mismanagement of taxpayer dollars and environmental concerns – like those related to Carus Chemical – have put our residents at risk and eroded public trust,” he said.

The candidates all believe in La Salle’s local business community, but they shared differing viewpoints on attracting and maintaining businesses.

Hicks said cutting the red tape, improving business-friendly policies, investing in infrastructure, strengthening the workforce, promoting the city’s strengths and supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs will attract more businesses while continuing to grow the downtown.

“By cutting red tape, improving infrastructure, investing in workforce development and actively recruiting businesses, I will make La Salle a place where companies want to invest and create jobs,” he said. “My goal is to build a thriving local economy that benefits all residents, not just a select few.”

Hammers said he will work to create an environment where businesses can thrive.

“I am committed to cutting through the bureaucracy and ensuring that La Salle becomes a place where entrepreneurs are celebrated, not stifled,” he said.

Thompson believes his “Greater La Salle Project” will grow the local business community.

“Start a program for the locals to have a small business, tax breaks, support from the city and, with ‘The Greater La Salle Project,’ the expanding development of the city would bring in more potential clients,” he said.

Grove said the city has policies in place to streamline the business process, including having all city staffers available when meeting with a potential developer.

“This way we can answer all questions in a one-stop-shop forum in order to streamline the process,” he said. “We never want to be the hold-up for a developer. We get a lot of positive feedback on how quickly the city staff and City Council act on zoning changes, incentives, etc.”

All candidates’ full questionnaires are available on shawlocal.com.