Peoria Heights residents got their first glimpse of the five candidates seeking three open seats on the Peoria Heights Village Board at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria on Feb. 6.
The five candidates, in alphabetical order, are Jason Jones, J.T. Kellock, Jennifer Reichert, Nathan Steinwedel and Teresa Symmonds. Current Village Board Trustee Matthew Wigginton is running unopposed for mayor and, given that, did not participate in the forum.
The candidates introduced themselves to the community and shared their priorities for the Village.
Reichert, of 5028 N. Glen Elm Drive, was appointed to the Village Board in 2023. She described herself as a “Peoria Heights lifer” with a “unique perspective” as the daughter of a former Heights fire chief father and a former Village Board member mom. She is in her 18th year as the director of technology for the Peoria Heights School District.
Symmonds, of 712 E. Lake Ave., said that she is a 32-year resident of the Heights. Her involvement in the community has revolved mostly around her five sons and their school activities. She is a property manager and licensed residential leasing agent with the state of Illinois.
Steinwedel, of 5137 N. Montclair Ave., is an 18-year resident of the Heights and former local police officer who works in commercial real estate.
Jones, of 1410 Duryea Ave., is a 12-year Heights resident with seven children, three at Peoria Heights High School. He has worked at GFL Environmental, a waste disposal company, for the last 15 years.
Kellock, of 4925 Grandview Drive, is a 15-year Heights resident with four kids who owns a packaging services company in Galesburg. He has been involved at St. Thomas Catholic Church and school through his four children. He owns an MBA degree.
In questioning from League representatives and the audience, it soon became clear that the top issues in this race are the future of the fire department and newer, better water infrastructure.
Symmonds was the most vocal in expressing her support for a full-time fire department and said she was upset with the Board’s backpedaling on the issue. “We need to push forward with a full-time fire department,” she said.
Reichert demurred, saying that Fire Chief Dan Decker “is doing an amazing job” and “we did find a happy medium.” The Village shouldn’t want “to overextend ourselves with your tax money with something we can’t sustain,” said Reichert, adding that if the Village had proceeded down the previous path of hiring full-timers, it ran the risk of “bankrupting us in a 10-year span.” Steinwedel was pretty much on the same page, arguing that “right now we have a very responsive fire department” made up of volunteers and those on stipend and suggesting that “we absolutely have to keep our fire department” rather than contracting fire service out to another community such as Peoria. Finite Village dollars would best be spent on top-notch fire training and equipment, he said. Jones said that he is “on the fence with the full-time.”
“If we can continue to grow the tax base … then we can put more money into the fire department,” said Kellock, adding that until then, he is content with the current hybrid model.
Regarding the water system, Reichert tried to reassure residents that the infrastructure is getting the attention it needs while cautioning that the cost of a comprehensive fix is quite significant and will require patience. “It took a long time to get this bad. It’s going to take a long time to get better, but we are working on it,” she said. Kellock was of similar mind, calling the system “a huge issue” that will require “millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars” as the Village tries to “make up for 40 years of underinvestment.” He added that clean water is “a basic human right” but acknowledged that “it all takes money.”
Steinwedel said he favors a piecemeal approach to addressing the water system but in the interim supports hiring additional water workers and exploring the possibility of purchasing household water filtration systems for residents. Symmonds said some measures have been helpful, such as ice pigging, but the ultimate answer is complete replacement of ancient water lines. Jones said the Village needs to prioritize infrastructure upgrades – worst first – but confessed that “money is a concern.”
Regarding plans for the reconstruction and redevelopment of Prospect Road, Steinwedel indicated that he is opposed to any narrowing of the roadway that might discourage traffic to and through the downtown area, calling it “a river of people wanting to spend money in our Village.” Symmonds sounded a similar note, suggesting that congestion from the construction alone “will strangle our businesses.”
Regarding economic development, Steinwedel said the first step is “keeping taxes low,” a comment echoed by Kellock. Steinwedel also said that the Village needs to be more proactive regarding business recruitment instead of “waiting for the phone to ring.” Symmonds said the landlocked Village needs to “grow upward” while enticing businesses that are more affordable for families with children and encouraging development below the hill.
The candidates expressed satisfaction with the police department’s work, for the most part, and agreed with the sentiment that the Heights “is a safe place to live and work.” Symmonds said she wants to beefed-up security infrastructure for events, such as blocking off roads with large trucks, citing the importance of avoiding a New Orleans-type situation. Steinwedel said he wants a restoration of the canine program and crime scene technicians to the department. Jones repeatedly said he wants more camera surveillance of residential neighborhoods.
There have been consistent complaints with the Village’s new waste hauler, GFL Environmental. Jones defended his employer while conceding that high employee turnover has been an issue. Reichert said that the Village had been spoiled with its previous garbage pickup service. When GFL entered the picture, “basically they bought out a contract and weren’t ready to start,” she said, adding that she has advocated for monthly sit-downs with the waste hauler. Steinwedel indicated that stronger performance standards are needed in the Village’s garbage contract, and Kellock said he wants more accountability, potentially with financial penalties being levied for repeated “hiccups.”
Finally, there was a divergence of opinion regarding the recently adopted Active Transportation Plan, which aims to make it easier and safer to get around the Heights without a vehicle. Jones noted that “walkability is part of the draw to the Heights for people who don’t live in the Heights” and that he routinely walks Downtown from his Duryea Avenue home. Reichert indicated that she generally supports the plan, while Symmonds and Steinwedel expressed reservations regarding the potential ramifications for business. Kellock generally expressed support for accommodating pedestrian traffic throughout the community but urged Village officials to be careful about “going overboard.”
In closing statements, Symmonds said she wants more community involvement in Village government. Jones said he “will do whatever it takes to get the job done … with the rest of the group.” Kellock also indicated that collaboration is a priority for him and that he intends to be a team player even when he might differ with other trustees. “I intend to represent everybody … the tenants … the landlords … the business owners and everybody else,” said Steinwedel.
“I eat at your restaurants. I work in your school. Now I serve on your Board,” said Reichert. “Peoria Heights is more than home for me. It has completely been my world my entire life …
“I want to continue my education on this Board.”
For those who’d still like to watch the candidate forum, the video can be found online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arQN7gWtldE. Election Day is Tuesday, April 1, though there is ample opportunity to vote before that, either in person at various locations throughout Peoria County or through the mail. The Peoria Heights Public Library, 816 E. Glen Ave., will host early voters from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26.
For more information on the 2025 election, please visit the Peoria County Election Commission website at https://www.peoriaelections.gov/.
