Galesburg Alderman Larry Cox announced Thursday that he is seeking another four years on the City Council, representing the 7th Ward.
Cox is the former Public Works Director for the City and has a Master of Public Administration degree and was previously serving in the Sunrise Rotary Club as Secretary and President.
In a statement, he shares his recent support for two additional police officers and three new firefighters plus additional funding for the Galesburg Police Department in the City’s budget.
Cox says he has been a long-time supporter of more funding for streets and sidewalks and believes the amount spent should be that which can be managed mostly with in-house engineering staff. He says does not support using any Motor Fuel Tax funds to make bond payments as others have suggested, adding the city does not currently receive enough funds to meet the city’s needs, so using these funds to pay for bonds would be counterproductive
On the subject of a new community center, Cox says he supports partnering with other organizations to provide a center for teens and seniors but does not support spending $7.5 million on a community center.
He said, “I believe we can meet the needs of our community by spending considerably less money than has been proposed. It’s premature to raise the sales tax or sale bonds until we know how much the public supports a community center financially; what the majority of the public believes should be in a community center; how community center staffing would be funded and who would staff it.”
He says he will continue supporting many economic development projects in Galesburg and promoting efforts to improve the local economy. He is also quoted as saying, “I look forward to continuing to address all citizen questions and concerns; and to improving on the great things we have in Galesburg.”
Cox is set to face retired teacher, coach, and broadcaster Steve Cheesman in the April 2023 consolidated election.
The Galesburg Election Commission informed WGIL in November that all four incumbents on the city council had picked up packets to run again.
