The Carlinville mayoral election is on April 4 and there are three candidates in the running: current Mayor Deanna Demuzio, local businessman J.R. LeVora and city council member Alderman George Cerar. If you aren’t sure who to vote for, this article will break down the experience of each candidate and where they stand on important Carlinville issues.
Demuzio is up for re-election this year. She has been mayor of Carlinville since May 2013 and is the candidate with the most political experience. Demuzio served as a member of the Illinois Senate in 2004 after the death of her husband, Senator Vince Demuzio. She served the rest of his term until 2006 when she was re-elected. Demuzio was defeated by Sam McCann in 2010.
To some, Demuzio is viewed as the most progressive Carlinville mayor in recent history. Demuzio sat down in city hall and spoke about her work. “Our administration has been very proactive in a number of areas,” she said. “We’ve drummed up local business, are working on a solution to the water and our police department is doing really good. When I took office, I knew that there were certain things that citizens expect out of their community. They expect a good fire department, police that make them feel safe, good roads and clean water. When we [the Demuzio administration] came in, we had a water problem that needed addressed. We’ve been working with the EPA and USDA and anyone else that will listen to us… We are going to be finding solutions to this problem.” If re-elected, Demuzio plans to continue to improve the local community. “Yesterday I attended ribbon cutting ceremonies for seven new business out at the plaza,” said Demuzio. “These businesses and individuals have taken the time and invested their money to start businesses here in Carlinville… We plan to continue this. We have been in constant contact with different farm supply stores… We hope to get one of them here in the near future.” Demuzio also plans to improve Carlinville’s water and to continue promoting business by utilizing the town’s rich history as part of Route 66 as a lure for tourists looking to stop off on the historic road.
J.R. Levora’s campaign is summed up in three words. Community, Transparency, Prosperity.”
Local businessman J.R. LeVora’s seems to be a popular candidate this election. The campaign signs throughout Carlinville suggest that LeVora’s followers really believe in him. Since 2013, LeVora has operated a popular full-service entertainment service in Carlinville. This service provides photo booths, DJs and limo bus transportation for anyone looking to party. LeVora hopes to take his business success and transfer it to running Carlinville as mayor. LeVora and his supporters have broken down his plan for Carlinville into three words: community, transparency and prosperity. LeVora sat down at the Refuge Coffee House and spoke about how he plans to improve Carlinville. “Let’s be realistic; Carlinville is never going to have a Fortune 500 company in town. But we do need to start with building-block businesses. We need to get them here. If they won’t come here, we need to give them reasons to come here. Once they are here we need to keep them here. This should drum up business and attract other building-block businesses at the same time,” said LeVora. “I just see so many kids leaving Carlinville and never coming back. It really bothers me because this town has so much to offer as far as being a close-knit group, where everybody is always there for one another… We are giving them no reason to come back here…I remember seeing this and thinking I could fix it. That really made me feel like I needed to run for mayor.” LeVora’s campaign has a large social media presence and he attributes some of his success to this. “I’m tired of seeing grandparents watch their grandkids grow up over Facebook,” said LeVora. Other major issues that Levora plans to improve are Carlinville’s lack of a farm store and the water situation.
“Alderman George Cerar is running because he feels he needs to fix the mistakes of the previous administration.”
Alderman George Cerar is also in the running. Cerar has been a Carlinville City Council member since 2013 and is a former mayor of Athens, Illinois (1989-2001). He’s retired and wants to make taking care of Carlinville his main concern. Cerar said, “I want to get everyone involved in city functions, not just an elite few,” said Cerar. When asked what he meant by an “elite few,” Cerar said, “There are certain people that the mayor caters to. They are the elite people in town.” His campaign is geared towards those who are irritated with Demuzio and her policies. He believes that she hasn’t done enough to fix Carlinville’s water problem or bring new businesses to town. He also criticized her administration’s handling of funds. “I think that sometimes things were bought without the proper procedures or council approval,” said Cerar. His plans to improve Carlinville include making a five-year deal with Litchfield so that Carlinville can use their water until its own water problems are sorted out and giving local businesses tax breaks to get them into the town. “We need to do whatever we can to grow Carlinville’s business,” he said. “I know that the mayor has had the opportunity to get a new hotel, but she wouldn’t go through with it.” Cerar supporter Sherry Brianza said, “His civic resume is inspiring as a shining example of his selflessness. Previously served as Fire Chief, Park Board President, founder and Charter President of the Athens’ Lions Club, received the Jaycees’ Distinguished Service Award, the Walmart Hometown Leadership Award, Lions’ Service and Dedication Award, and the City of Athens’ Distinguished Service Award, to name a few.”