Schweighart: Union and Minoirty Votes Cost Him Election
Updated: April 6, 2011
CHAMPAIGN - Tuesday nights race for mayor between challenger Don Gerard and long time mayor Jerry Schweighart came down to the last couple of votes.
"I didn't expect that low of a turn out," explained Schweighart who lost his seat to Don Gerard by 230 votes. "Out of 17 percent that means 83 percent stayed home and didn't bother to exercise their right to vote, when you have that low of a turnout a minority of a group can swing the vote."
Schweighart believes the lack of voters really hurt him in the polls. He thinks he lost votes from union members because of the budget situation.
"We treated the unions very good for the past 12 years, giving them the best equipment training, best pay, and now we got into a tiff with them on the budget," explained Schweighart.
He believes in order to help the budget, certain areas in fire and police departments needed to be cut. Schweighart said cutting the police department's front desk and fire station 4 would not have a big impact on services.
"It will be interesting to watch how they'll balance the budget, under our administration of 12 years we presented on time a balanced budget without raising property taxes and sales taxes," said Schweighart.
The incumbent mayor thinks he lost votes in neighborhoods like District 1. Seven precincts make up the district, about 10 percent of Tuesdays vote.
"I wanted different opinions and judgments of the community," said James Pettigrew who lives in the district and voted for Gerard.
Pettigrew and others at the Whip Hair Design, a barber shop located on 904 North 4th Street in Champaign, said they wanted to see change in the community.
"The community has had a lot of people not agreeing with the police, the mayor, and city council and I think it's time for change," explained Pettigrew.
The city has worked on mending relationships with the African-American community ever since Kiwane Carrington's death. The fifteen-year-old died after a struggle with an officer on Oct. 9, 2009 in which an officers gun went off killing Carrington.
"District one because it's interested in firing the chief of police and they got commitments from the candidates they would work to do that,"explained Schweighart. "They felt I was the only obstacle from keeping that from happening, if I was gone they would get the votes to do it."
Don Gerard said that's not true, that he didn't tell people he would try and fire Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney. During Gerard's campaign, he took the position of being transparent and keeping lines of communication open. A promise that people said drove them to the polls in District 1.
In 2007 about 720 people cast a ballot in the mayoral race compared to 825 votes in 2011. That's a 14.5 percent increase.
"I saw people with the sign, 'vote,' that I've never seen vote before, so it was just good to see people getting to their polling places and voice their opinions," explained Pettigrew.
"Everybody want's change so we'll see if change works out that good for them," said Schweighart.
"I didn't expect that low of a turn out," explained Schweighart who lost his seat to Don Gerard by 230 votes. "Out of 17 percent that means 83 percent stayed home and didn't bother to exercise their right to vote, when you have that low of a turnout a minority of a group can swing the vote."
Schweighart believes the lack of voters really hurt him in the polls. He thinks he lost votes from union members because of the budget situation.
"We treated the unions very good for the past 12 years, giving them the best equipment training, best pay, and now we got into a tiff with them on the budget," explained Schweighart.
He believes in order to help the budget, certain areas in fire and police departments needed to be cut. Schweighart said cutting the police department's front desk and fire station 4 would not have a big impact on services.
"It will be interesting to watch how they'll balance the budget, under our administration of 12 years we presented on time a balanced budget without raising property taxes and sales taxes," said Schweighart.
The incumbent mayor thinks he lost votes in neighborhoods like District 1. Seven precincts make up the district, about 10 percent of Tuesdays vote.
"I wanted different opinions and judgments of the community," said James Pettigrew who lives in the district and voted for Gerard.
Pettigrew and others at the Whip Hair Design, a barber shop located on 904 North 4th Street in Champaign, said they wanted to see change in the community.
"The community has had a lot of people not agreeing with the police, the mayor, and city council and I think it's time for change," explained Pettigrew.
The city has worked on mending relationships with the African-American community ever since Kiwane Carrington's death. The fifteen-year-old died after a struggle with an officer on Oct. 9, 2009 in which an officers gun went off killing Carrington.
"District one because it's interested in firing the chief of police and they got commitments from the candidates they would work to do that,"explained Schweighart. "They felt I was the only obstacle from keeping that from happening, if I was gone they would get the votes to do it."
Don Gerard said that's not true, that he didn't tell people he would try and fire Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney. During Gerard's campaign, he took the position of being transparent and keeping lines of communication open. A promise that people said drove them to the polls in District 1.
In 2007 about 720 people cast a ballot in the mayoral race compared to 825 votes in 2011. That's a 14.5 percent increase.
"I saw people with the sign, 'vote,' that I've never seen vote before, so it was just good to see people getting to their polling places and voice their opinions," explained Pettigrew.
"Everybody want's change so we'll see if change works out that good for them," said Schweighart.
Comments
Wow, talk about sour grapes. I guess the current mayor decided to pass on being a gracious loser and congratulate Don Gerard on his win.
Craig C.
April 7, 2011 at 4:34 am
