Joliet election: Will they vote?

Here’s another reminder to vote, which an overwhelming majority of eligible voter’s don’t do when it comes to local elections.

It will be interesting to see if the energy surrounding the Joliet City Council and variety of candidates in the race raise the turnout in the Tuesday election.

Turnouts for local elections generally range from the low teens to the high teens in Will County. That means less than one in five eligible voters bother to do so.

But the Joliet contest has been fueled by such issues as the NorthPoint project, long-running disputes in the City Council, and calls for police reform.

A number of new candidates are in the race this year. So are some very familiar faces,

Jan Quillman is the only incumbent in the contest, meaning this election will bring some change no matter who wins the contest for three at-large council seats.

New candidates pushing for change include Hudson Hollister, Cesar Guerrero and Jeremy Brzycki.

Nicole Lurry is seeking a council seat after the death of her husband Eric Lurry Jr. last year in an arrest that became the focal point of local calls for changes in the Joliet Police Department.

James Lanham is among the new candidates.

So is Glenda Wright-McCullum, who is vice chair of the Housing Authority of Joliet Board of Commissioners. The secretary of that board, Roger Powell Sr., also is running.

Isiah Williams Jr. is making his first run for City Council, although he did pursue a Joliet Junior College board seat in 2019.

While there is only one incumbent, there are some familiar names.

Former long-time Councilman Warren Dorris is on the ballot.

So is Robert Wunderlich, a Joliet Junior College trustee for 44 years who this time is running for City Council.

Joe Clement, finishing his first term on the Joliet Park District board and a former Joliet police officer who was one of the figures in the Fiesta en la Calle controversy of 2019, also is pursuing a council seat.

CAPA survey

The Cathedral Area Preservation Association had high hopes for a survey it prepared for council candidates.

“Anyone voting in Joliet should find the information valuable,” CAPA President Andrew Chemers said in an email seeking coverage of the survey while awaiting candidate responses.

Alas, only four candidates responded.

Still, you can find the survey at CAPA’s website, www.capajoliet.net, if you’re interested in reading what Brzycki, Clement, Hollister and Quillman had to say about neighborhood policing, revitalizing major corridors, single-family rental inspections, and a comprehensive plan for the city.