Six seats on Rock Falls City Council up for election in April

ROCK FALLS — The Rock Falls City Council could have an almost entirely new group of leaders after the April 1, 2025, election.

That’s because the terms of Mayor Rodney Kleckler, Ward 1 Alderman Bill Wangelin, Ward 2 Alderman Brian Snow, Ward 2 Alderman Vickey Byrd, Ward 3 Alderman Steve Dowd, Ward 4 Alderman Violet Sobottka, Ward 4 Alderman Cathy Arduini, City Treasurer Kay Abner and City Clerk Pam Martinez are all coming to an end. In interviews with Shaw Local, they’ve all confirmed they will be running to retain their positions.

The council consists of eight aldermen, two each representing the four wards.

In total, 15 petitions had been picked up as of Thursday, but candidates aren’t officially in the running until those petitions are signed and turned in, according to Rock Falls Business Office Superintendent Michelle Conklin.

One of those petitions, for the position of mayor, was taken out by former Mayor Bill Wescott.

[ Round 2: Former Mayor Wescott, current Mayor Kleckler again will battle to be Rock Falls’ leader ]

Ward 1 representatives

Two petitions have been picked up for the open Ward 1 seat, one of them by incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Bill Wangelin, according to Conklin.

Wangelin was first appointed in January 2019 to a two-year term by Wescott. He was elected to the seat in 2021 for his current four-year term.

Of his experience Wangelin said, “I really, really enjoy it.” Adding that since he’s retired, he’s able to devote the majority of his time to the city and, as a result, is a member of six committees. He also is chairman of the Public Works Committee.

If reelected, a focus for Wangelin would be reducing crime, he said.

According to the Rock Falls Police Department’s 2023 report, the department had 13,226 calls for service that year, which was a 16.5% increase from 2022. Most significantly, “2023 had a disturbing increase in sexual assault, child abuse and child pornography cases from 2022,” the report says.

Another priority would be “trying to get the city to grow more” through development by enticing new businesses to come to the area, Wangelin said.

One big project that’s currently in the planning phase is a nearly $18 million travel center northeast of the Route 40 and Interstate 88 interchange. It’s expected to create 55 full-time jobs and would include gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, a restaurant, convenience store and short-term overnight parking for long-haul truckers.

Ward 2 representatives

Snow also said development would be a focus for him if elected for another term.

“I’m a voice for the residents in my ward and for the people of Rock Falls,” he said. “I work for the people and I always try to satisfy the majority.”

Snow has held onto his seat for over two decades. Now reaching the end of his fifth term, Snow views it as “a great honor to have been elected so many times,” he said. “I’m looking forward to running again and possibly serving again.”

Ward 2 representative Vickey Byrd was appointed in January to her seat, which had been empty since the April 2023 election when former Alderman Casey Babel did not run for reelection.

“I think it’s important to give back to the community,” Byrd said. “That’s the only reason I got involved. It’s not, you know, personal satisfaction for me, I just want to do what the people want and to be good representation.”

“I’m also very concerned about our young people, where our future is going and really the only way you know anything is to get involved,” she said.

If elected in April, Byrd would serve until 2027 to complete the unexpired four-year term.

Ward 3 representatives

Representing Ward 3, Alderman Steve Dowd is running for his second term.

In 2021, he defeated 12-year incumbent Jim Schuneman for the seat. Dowd described himself back then as an “uneducated voter” who was “the biggest complainer.” His campaign was highlighted by his desire to fix the roads - a long-time issue for residents.

The past three years have been “a very eye-opening experience” and he’s learned a lot about the city. Specifically, “where the money is and how funding works for projects like the streets,” he said.

“There’s a lot of complainers out there who just don’t actually know what’s going on,” he said. “I used to be one of them.”

If reelected, Dowd said he’d like to work on getting more people involved and encourages more people to come to City Council meetings. He’d also focus on attracting new businesses to the area and continue his efforts to fix the roads.

Ward 4 representatives

Like Dowd, Ward 4 Alderman Violet Sobottka also acknowledged the roads “are always a big issue,” but “I would never say I’m going to fix the roads, because I know what it entails and you can’t make that promise,” she said. “There’s so many roads out there that need repair, and you can’t fix them all.”

A big reason why is the cost. In July, the city of Dixon allocated $1.8 million to resurface only 3 miles of roadway.

Sobottka was first appointed to her Ward 4 seat by Wescott in May 2017. She was elected in 2019, serving the remaining two years of that unexpired four-year term. She was reelected in 2021 to her current term.

Now running for a third term, Sobottka said, “I thought about not doing it just to give somebody else a chance, but then we have a problem with nobody wanting to step up.”

She added that some people do but they aren’t “serious about running.” Others come in thinking “they’re going to change the world, and that’s always a rude awakening,” Sobottka said. “The hardest thing to learn is the fact that government is slow and everything is transparent and everything has to be accounted for.”

That’s something she learned quickly after being appointed in 2017, which “was during the burn ban,” Sobottka said. She described how people were constantly calling and the council chambers were always full “because people were wanting to either stop the ban or go for the ban.”

The “burn ban” was an ordinance brought to the council and would ban open burning of yard waste, garbage, and more within city limits. It also placed additional restrictions on recreational fires, including banning the practice everyday between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

In July of that year, four of the eight alderman voted in favor of the ban and four, including Sobottka, voted against it. To break the tie, Wescott - as mayor - voted in favor of it, according to the 2017 ordinance.

After that, the ban went into effect, but “I was able to help initiate some changes,” Sobottka said. One of those was extending the time that recreational burning is allowed.

“For people that get home at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. and want to have a fire, they shouldn’t be restricted from having one just because they worked the night shift,” Sobottka said.

Now, recreational fires are banned from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., according to city code.

“I mean, talk about getting your feet wet,” Sobottka said. As an alderman, “it’s just something that you have to show up, you got to be there. You have to be responsible and informed.”

Also representing Ward 4 is Alderman Cathy Arduini, who was appointed to her seat in January 2023. In the April election, she is running to serve for two years to finish that unexpired four-year term.

In the past two years, Arduini said “I’ve learned a lot” and “I like being involved with the city and the committees.” Currently, she is a member of the Police and Fire Committee, which would be a focus for her if she were elected in 2025.

“The fire and police departments play an important role for the community,” Arduini said. Adding that she would work to ensure they are equipped with the safety equipment and all of the other things that they need to operate successfully.

“I just want to help out the community. I think we live in a great town, and I would like to see more positive things happen here,” she said.

City administration

The end of City Treasurer Kay Abner’s term will mark 12 years since she was first elected in 2013.

Of her experience, Abner said, “I’ve enjoyed it. I appreciate working for the city and feeling a part of the community.” She added that she likes “working with numbers” and has been doing so “pretty much my whole life.”

As treasurer, Abner handles all money that goes in and out of the city as well as reviews reports, payroll and other financial documents to ensure they’re accurate. In running for reelection, she hopes her prior experience in the position will speak for itself.

“I’ve been doing this job for years and it seems to work real well,” Abner said.

As for City Clerk Pam Martinez, she’s more of a newcomer, having been appointed to the position in October 2021 by Wescott. In running for election to retain her post, she said, “I feel that I am qualified to fill the role as city clerk and to continue for the next four years.”

In the role of city clerk, Martinez maintains records of all municipal meetings and activities in compliance with Illinois statute. The past three years have “been a great insight into city government,” Martinez said.

Throughout her career, she’s worked in similar roles requiring organization and time management skills, including her current position as executive director of Sauk Valley Foodbank in Sterling.

Previously, she was an outreach coordinator for state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, and a program coordinator with Whiteside County United Way.

Election information

To be in the running for the election in April, petitions must be turned in during the filing period, which starts on Nov. 12 and ends at 4 p.m. Nov. 18.

For previous elections, the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce has organized a meet-the-candidates event. According to Conklin, there’s been talk about having one again, “but nothing is confirmed yet.”