First Ward hopefuls square off in Geneva

GENEVA – Three candidates for Geneva’s First Ward presented their differences and similarities at a TaxFacts candidate forum Tuesday at the Stephen Persinger Center.

Incumbent Geneva City Council First Ward Alderman Charles Brown and challengers Esther Barclay and Zachary Ploppert responded to questions regarding taxes, fees and raising utility rates. Brown, who has served 20 years on the council and is seeking his seventh term, said he wanted to continue working to keep taxes down and services up.

Brown said he voted against the recent rate hikes to water, sewer and electricity, though his position was not in the majority.

“I’m a proponent of having the water fund and the sewer fund and the electric fund be sort of like insurance: Each year, you pay for what you used the year before,” Brown said. “You adjust the rate each year to reflect the conditions ... of the fund in the previous year ... they would be paying for what it actually cost.”

Ploppert said the increases approved recently were the “fiscally responsible thing to do.”

“Capital projects do not go away because you do not fund them. We had to maintain our own water reserves,” Ploppert said. “This is water. This is not something we can ignore.”

Barclay agreed it was the responsible thing to do, adding that voting against it was “plain politics.”

“I had people tell me they would take a small increase this year and a small increase next year and fund that water treatment plant,” Barclay said. “It takes a strong person to vote in favor of an increase.”

“The community has expectations of us to provide service, if you have to increase cost in one area, then another area should be decreased,” Barclay said.

Ploppert said his response to increased fees was anger, as he campaigned in the ward.

“I’m not going to sit here and promise you there will not be any increases,” Ploppert said. “I don’t think that promise is realistic. I will promise you that while I’m on the city council, the council will look at every other option before looking at an increase in any rate,  whether it be water, sewer or power or tax .... These are not the times to have increases, but sometimes we just don’t have any other choice.”

Dean Kilburg and Becky Hruby, who are vying for the Geneva Third Ward aldermanic seat, did not attend. Kilburg was out of town and sent current Third Ward Alderman Ray Pawlak to read a statement. Hruby said she decided not to attend if Pawlak would be there to represent Kilburg.

“I do not see how people can speak for someone else,” Hruby said. “Sending Alderman Pawlak as a proxy was over the top for me. I feel that this election is supposed to be about the future and bringing Ray into the debate is about the past.”