Dixon’s April election candidates speak on top priorities for upcoming terms

DIXON — Dixon’s candidates running in the April 1 consolidated election spoke about their top priorities during a forum Tuesday, March 18, 2025, hosted by Discover Dixon at Dixon High School.

Dave Hellmich, president of Sauk Valley Community College, acted as moderator, facilitating the candidates running for Dixon Township, Dixon School Board and Dixon City Council to give a 4-minute statement. Up first was the only contested race, that of Dixon Township highway commissioner. Incumbent Corey Reuter is running against newcomer Cameron Magne.

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Corey Reuter (left) and Cameron Magne are part of the only local contested race, Dixon Township Highway Commissioner. The two candidates spoke during a forum at Dixon High School Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Alex T. Paschal)

Dixon Township

Reuter has been involved in township government for nearly 20 years. He first started as a part-time employee at Dixon Township in 2006 and has held the position of highway commissioner for the past five years.

Magne is also no stranger to local government. He’s worked for the city of Dixon for 13 years and currently serves as the general foreman in the water department.

In Reuter’s opening statement, he spoke about his commitment to the role.

“I’m a full-time hands-on commissioner dedicated to serving you around the clock,” he said.

Reuter said he works to maintain good road conditions regardless of the time of day while also managing office duties and responding to residents' phone calls.

In Magne’s opening statement he referenced how his experience at the water department has prepared him for the role of highway commissioner.

“I’ve seen firsthand how essential well-maintained roads and infrastructure are to our daily lives,” he said.

If elected, Magne said, his priorities would include maintaining and improving township roads while being transparent with purchases and projects.

Reuter was then given the opportunity to respond and questioned Magne’s ability to handle all of the responsibilities that come with the position while also working full time for the city.

Reuter said his commitment to the role “simply cannot be matched by someone treating this as a part-time endeavor.”

In response, Magne said, “I’m no stranger to hard work or long hours.”

Instead of hindering his ability to fulfill the position, Magne said, his current job has prepared him to do it well by teaching him how to prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities to “get the job done effectively.”

In the Dixon Township supervisor race, Brent Reuter is running unopposed to retain his position.

In the upcoming term, he is “focusing on transparency and wants to ”make sure community members are actively involved in decision making processes," he said.

Brent Reuter is a lifelong Dixon resident. He works as a staffing specialist at Raynor Garage Doors in Dixon and is co-owner of the Rock River Disc Golf sports league.

Dixon City Council

The City Council terms of Dennis Considine and Chris Bishop end in April. Both are running unopposed to retain their spots.

The end of Considine’s term marks 14 years of serving on the council and, for Bishop, it marks six.

During their statements at the forum, they said that addressing Dixon’s housing shortage is a top priority going into another term. They also agreed that they have a great group currently serving on the council.

“We all work together as a team,” Considine said.

Bishop said that teamwork is what makes them great.

In Considine’s statement he said the council does a good job at being transparent with its constituents.

“There are no under-the-table deals that go on. At least that I’m aware of,” Considine said. “I look forward to continue working with you and to do my best being transparent and honest.”

For Bishop, another one of his priorities is making sure to replace certain city leaders who are nearing retirement with “knowledgable and skilled people.”

He also said he wants to focus on the community’s continued economic development. That includes developing Dixon’s newly purchased 65-acre property off Bloody Gulch Road behind Walmart on South Galena Avenue and completing the construction of Project Rock.

[ Construction of Dixon’s $12 million pedestrian bridge project underway ]

Project Rock is an over $12 million development, primarily funded by grants, that will extend the multi-use path that runs west of Heritage Crossing with a pedestrian bridge over the Rock River using the old Illinois Central Railroad piers, construct an additional 2.8 miles of multi-use path and resurface just less than a mile of Page Drive.

“It’s really going to improve the health of the people who live here,” Bishop said.

Dixon School Board

Like the City Council, all candidates for the Dixon School Board – Linda Wegner, Brandon Rogers, Jon Wadsworth and Linda LeBlanc-Parks – are running unopposed to retain their seats.

The end of their terms marks eight years on the board for Wegner, six for Rogers, and four for both Wadsworth and LeBlanc-Parks.

In all their statements, the candidates said they’re proud of what the board has accomplished during the last four years in terms of facility renovations, updating and improving curriculum, improving the district’s financial well-being as well as listening to the needs of the district’s teachers and staff members.

“I’m very proud of the trajectory that we’re on,“ LeBlanc-Parks said.

“I’m excited about the board that we have,” Wegner said. “Consistency with the board is more important than ever right now.”

Going into another term, the candidates all identified hiring a new superintendent as their top priority. Superintendent Margo Empen will retire June 30, 2026, and the board approved an agreement at the December 2024 meeting to hire the Illinois Association of School Boards to aid them in their search.

“It will be critical to find the right person to build upon her legacy,” Rogers said.

“This is maybe one of the biggest decisions that we’re going to make,” Wadsworth said.

Other issues they’re focused on are coming up with creative incentives to address the teacher shortage, working to improve student attendance, ensuring schools have the resources needed to thrive and strengthening connections between schools and the community.