Mar. 4—DANVILLE — Some people might not know Jackie Vinson or her background, but Vinson says she's ready to step up to the task of being a strong mayor looking out for all residents.

Vinson is opposing Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. in the April 4 election.

The Commercial-News sent the mayor candidates election questions for the public to get to know them a little better and to understand their vision for the city.

What follows are Vinson's answers.

Vinson, 33, 414 W. Conron Ave., became executive director of the now named Vermilion Housing Authority in 2016.

Her family includes: husband, Nick; and two children.

Education: Schlarman High School; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science degree.

Vinson said she's yet to be an elected official, but she's worked for city government before in the city of Durham, N.C. from 2011 to 2012 and for the city of Danville from 2012-2016.

Other organizations she's involved with: Vermilion Healthcare Foundation, Danville Area Community College Foundation, Vermilion Advantage Executive Committee, Danville Public Library Foundation, Balloons Over Vermilion, Illinois Association of Housing Authorities and Assisted Housing Risk Management Association.

HHH

1. What do you view as the top three constituent concerns with the city and how do you solve them?

My favorite part of this campaigning process has been the ability to speak with and listen to Danville residents and businesses. From those dialogues, I believe the top constituent concerns with our city are: having a transparent local government that listens to the people; quality of life and cost of living in Danville; and the future of the city — its neighborhoods, its businesses, its infrastructure, its environment and our homes.

As mayor, I will work for all of us. Anyone who wants to participate in their community, to the benefit of the community as a whole, will have a seat at the table. We have to make Danville a city that welcomes residents and businesses, a city that works for all people equitably, not behind closed doors.

I believe that to know where we need to go, we first need to understand where we are. I will support a neighborhood wellness analysis to determine the health of our streets, sidewalks, sanitary and storm sewers, buildings and housing. We will utilize the data collected to create a strategic vision for each neighborhood, and the city as a whole.

2. What are your thoughts on Danville's decreased population? Why do you like living here? Is the city safe? Are residents' needs being met with services? Explain your answers.

Our family loves living in Danville! Danville is a special place because of the people who live and work here. As a resident of Danville I enjoy our neighborhood, the social activities to go to and the beautiful natural environment.

In the last four years, the cost for my family to live in Danville has increased significantly. We as a community need to understand that Danville has infrastructure to support a much bigger population, but as population has decreased, fewer are paying to maintain said infrastructure.

As a city, we need to encourage our recent graduates to stay. We need to prioritize healthy neighborhoods and plan for strategic blight removal. We need to work with community partners to provide a variety of housing choices, to support and incubate small business development and expansion, and to "raise the bar" of what to expect when you come to Danville.

3. What is your definition of a professional mayor and how does social media play a part in that? Are you or how will you be one?

The role of the mayor is to be the chief representative for the people of Danville. Our mayor should be empathetic, understanding, an active listener, and open to diverse perspectives. A professional mayor is not the person who comes up with every idea, it's the person who seeks the audiences and input necessary to develop the best idea.

I am fairly new to the world of social media, but in my short time, I can see how an individual can get caught up in the emotions that social media provokes. Social media is a powerful tool that should be used to foster relationships and connect with our community. It's important for public officials to use social media for its benefits without allowing themselves to fixate on "winning the argument." It should be a tool to share and gather perspectives. It should not be used to demean, argue, shame or belittle.

As mayor, I am committed to upholding professional values whether in person or through the internet.

4. How can the mayor be transparent with the public on city issues?

If we want to move the needle in a positive direction, everyone must participate. We need our residents and businesses to participate with the city in an "all hands on deck" manner. In order to do that, we must operate from a place of trust. Trust right now is lacking.

Our city administration will be open. We will be transparent. We are going to have a sense of urgency every day, every week, every month. Not just during an election year. We are going to work with you to develop a vision and we will report back to residents as we make progress. It will be a collaborative style — not just with the city council but with everybody here.

5. Is the city developer-friendly? Explain your answer.

As a municipal government, we must support our businesses. The health of the city and the health of the businesses are directly linked together. We have to know if our businesses are growing or hurting, and we have to be willing to do what is necessary to make sure they continue to operate in a city that works to keep them here and meet their needs.

Permitting, inspections and code enforcement are essential city services, but they must be enforced equitably. What I have heard is that the rules change depending on who is at the table. What we do for one, we must be willing to do for all.

6. Is the city spending taxpayer money and funding from other sources, such as ARPA, wisely? Why or why not?

We owe it to ourselves to be fiscally responsible, to make pragmatic decisions, and to focus our future on opportunities that provide all of Danville with a return on the investment being made. As a fiscally conservative individual, I would prioritize directing revenue streams towards decreasing the city's long-term debts.

In my opinion, the city missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the $24.6 million in ARPA funding to strategically prioritize the use of this money to have drastic long-term benefits to the city and its populus.

7. What is your vision for the city for the future?

My vision is a city that works with and for its businesses and residents. Values like customer service, efficiency, transparency and accountability will guide our daily operations. Our city should be relied upon as a partner, not an adversary by those living and working within our area. Customer service should be our daily goal — understanding the pulse of what our residents and businesses want and working to provide them services that meet their needs.

We should invest in our people by building a more equitable, inclusive Danville. We should prioritize public safety and work proactively to prevent violent crime. Danville should honor its areas of historical significance and simultaneously create an investment strategy specific to each neighborhood's unique amenities. We should aggressively support small business creation and expansion, and partner with agencies who have experience and knowledge necessary to assist these entrepreneurs. We must actively address poverty and work force development; our people need us to, and our businesses need us to now more than ever.

8. Any other comments?

Since returning to Vermilion County, I have been committed to the idea that I want to serve Danville in the most meaningful way possible. I want to bring people, businesses and organizations across our city together to make Danville the very best it can be — a place where every citizen and business owner has opportunities to develop their potential to its fullest, where families can grow, people can play, and businesses can thrive. I want to be responsible for charting Danville's course into a future of progress and innovation, while ensuring that opportunity is equitable, plentiful and available to all people.