Mayoral Candidate Guy Alongi Talks About His Goals for City
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin mayoral candidate Guy Alongi today announced his platform for the upcoming April 5 election.
Alongi, a former city finance comnmissioner, will oppose incumbent Mayor John Rednour in April.
In prepared remarks, Alongi said, " If elected, I would create a long term financial and master plan for the city. I would appoint a board made up of banking, business and accounting experts within the city to work with budget director Blaine Bastien and the city council. This board's main responsibility would be to help purge and plan all existing and future budgets and make sure we are getting every ounce out of every dollar looking at all resources and every revenue stream available".
Alongi also stated,"Several years ago the city voted in home rule with the promise that the city portion of the personal property taxes would be eliminated. Now after a few years the city has had to reinstate a portion of those property taxes back on the rolls costing taxpayers hundreds of dollars each. As mayor, I want to keep property taxes in check. The last thing we need are higher taxes, especially right after the state of Illinois raised income taxes by 66 percent".
"Jobs are a great concern to me. I feel the best way to help create jobs will be for me, as mayor, to personally visit manufacturing companies and other businesses in our region and sit down and tell them that we have a great workforce in Du Quoin that is willing to work. There will be a great opportunity for employment in the near future in Southern Illinois; we need to make sure companies come to Du Quoin and present job fairs working with Man-Tra-Con. We need to be thinking that we are one voice and one region. It is a shame that Perry County along with Du Quoin, is the third highest unemployment county and community in the state of Illinois. We have wonderful people who want to work and need to be given the opportunity to do so. I will be proactive in asking businesses around Southern Illinois to hire Du Quoin workers".
Alongi added," Aging waterlines is a major priority. All you have to do is look up and down North and South Washington Street, East and West Main Street, among other areas of Du Quoin to see just how critically these lines need to be replaced. There are patches all over Du Quoin and every time we have a waterline break it cost us hundreds of dollars in lost revenue. I will work with state and federal leaders to secure funding to replace aging waterlines over the next four years. The other item that needs to be addressed is how to replace the revenue the City of Du Quoin generated from selling water to Tamaroa. Beginning in July, Du Quoin will no longer be selling that community water, which will cause a shortfall in our operating budget".
"My administration will have an 'open door policy.' I will set aside two half days a week where I will be at city hall to talk with and answer questions citizens may have. I believe as a mayor you need to make yourself available to the people; when a person is elected to public office you become a servant to the citizens who elected you. My email address and phone number will be available to all the people in Du Quoin. I want to work with and listen to those that would elect me. I currently have a Facebook page titled "Guy Alongi for Du Quoin Mayor," where I will post discussions and thoughts periodically allowing more opportunities to present your opinions on our city".
"As mayor, I want to work with the Du Quoin School system to create a youth advisory board to the city council. We need to listen to students' concerns and needs as well. The students need to tell us what activities they would like to see in our community. This board would work directly with the council and come up with ideas for youth involvement within our city. I know teen activities in the past have failed, but I want to give it another try. The people we educate today become the future of our city tomorrow".
"Du Quoin needs to have a government that will work alongside fraternal organizations to allow them to have the latitude to raise money for charity. Du Quoin doesn't need to be adopting ordinances limiting the ability of these fine organization's from raising the funds to meet the charitable needs of our community. These organizations have hard working dedicated members who help our local veteran's, underprivileged children and seniors. As Mayor, I want the city council to take another look at the ordinance they adopted restricting fund raising efforts beginning 2012".
"I am running with the slogan 'A New Voice and A New Vision' for Du Quoin and I feel I can make a difference and continue stability within the city. I am a lifelong resident of Du Quoin and the Alongi name has been a trusted family and business name in Du Quoin for 77 years."
Alongi is married to wife Rose, and they have two sons, J.R. and Shawn. Alongi is the son of the late Jerome "Mimi" Alongi and his mother is Dorothy Alongi of Du Quoin.