1.0The Sourcehttp://the-source.netrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="6z3xBF4jUK"><a href="http://the-source.net/race-for-jacksonville-mayor/">Race for Jacksonville Mayor</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="http://the-source.net/race-for-jacksonville-mayor/embed/#?secret=6z3xBF4jUK" width="600" height="338" title="“Race for Jacksonville Mayor” — The Source" data-secret="6z3xBF4jUK" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> Harry “Andy” Ezard Background information: I have served as Jacksonville’s Mayor since April 28, 2009 and am currently serving in my third four-year term in office. I was City Clerk of Jacksonville from 2005 to 2009. Prior to my service with the City of Jacksonville, I worked in State Government from 1991 to 2005 – working in the Office of Governor Jim Edgar and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. I am a member of the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, ISVI Advisory Council, Jacksonville Chapter N.A.A.C.P., Morgan County Republican Women’s Club, Passavant Hospital Auxiliary, I-Fund, Eastern Illinois University Alumni Association, and am an honorary member of the Jacksonville Rotary Club. I am also a member of the Central Christian Church. I serve on the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Board, Jacksonville Convention & Visitors Bureau Board, Jacksonville Main Street Board of Directors, Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation Board, Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation Board and am a Vice President on the Illinois Municipal League Board of Directors.   What event/initiative regarding the City of Jacksonville are you most proud to be involved in? There are so many daily twists and turns in this position. There are big initiatives that I have played a small role and worked well with others to see things come to fruition and there are small items that on the surface may be miniscule in some peoples view but they are not small to the person(s) who I have tried to help. Being Mayor of this community has been tough at times but it has also brought much joy to me in helping people. The community is so close knit and there really isn’t just one thing it’s a culmination of many. This is a fantastic city to live in. Do you think our Main Street/Downtown is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that? Yes, Main Street has contributed much to our downtown and the city with assistance and business support throughout the Downtown Turnaround and the recent pandemic. They have completed beautification projects that have saved the city money and hosted events that have brought tens of thousands of people downtown, which boosts business and get more attention for Jacksonville. I feel Main Street will continue to be successful and healthy and provide more needed services to the community with continued support from everyone in the city. A great, passionate group to work with. If you could change one thing in our zoning code, what would it be and why? We need to continue to collaboratively seek ways to streamline our current codes which help cut through the red tape. Our coordination with Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and formation of a Land Bank to assist us with the rehab and/or demolition of vacant/neglected buildings must continue. Also further promotion of our enterprise zone, opportunity zone and TIF additions and renewal must move forward. If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? Unfortunately $1 million doesn’t go too far these days but I would propose to spend it on new roads and sidewalks, however, I would like to listen to the city council and our resident’s thoughts on what they would like to do. I really wish this would happen. Fingers crossed. What is the greatest challenge facing the City of Jacksonville and what would you propose be done to correct that problem? I believe the unfunded mandates that the state keeps imposing on municipalities is a huge challenge. I think we need to keep working together on a local level to help navigate state government and keep the pedal down on obtaining grant funding through the state and federal government. Good relationships are key and we currently have those. The Jacksonville Developmental Center property is an ongoing challenge that we will continue to try and remediate. There have been interesting proposals discussed but we need to expand our discussion to get something done. What is something the Jacksonville City Council has done that you support? I support the vast majority of items the City Council passes. They are a dedicated group who has the best interests for our city. We might not always agree but I respect their positions and views. It has always been important to me as Mayor to get unanimous consensus and for the most part we have. Some examples are community wide broadband and the new water treatment plant. What is the best thing to happen to Jacksonville in the last five years? It’s hard to pick one so I will group all these together: New Water Treatment Plant, renovations of Jacksonville Middle School and Lincoln School, increased tourism dollars, keeping the Downtown as the central hub of the City, combined dispatch for our first responders, Tri-County Industrial Site acquisition, and new trails at Jacksonville Lake. What needs to be changed immediately to make Jacksonville a better place to live and work? We have seen how the MacMurray closure has impacted our community and how the group of citizens stepped up to turn this into a positive. I see this happening to the property at JDC as well if given a clean slate to work from. Reliance on one type of industry is in the past. We must be able to adapt to the diversification of many types of businesses and services. Jacksonville has unfilled jobs due to available workforce. Is there anything you can do to help the community get trained workers into this community? We are working on this daily. We need to continue our good working relationships with JREDC and the Chamber of Commerce and help them succeed on their mission and scope of work plan. The pandemic has certainly not helped things this past year but moving forward we need to stay engaged with their Talent Pipeline Management initiatives they have with Lincoln Land Community College and leading manufacturers to imagine a program that engages high school upperclassmen in manufacturing coursework and certification...http://the-source.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_3865.jpg