THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — A sixth candidate is considering a run for the highest-paying mayor job in East Central Illinois.
Tom Hightower, who represents Ward 3 on the Danville City Council, has picked up election petitions but said he is holding off on making a final decision on the 2027 race until October’s filing deadline.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr., the Rev. Frank McCullough, Ward 4 Alderwoman Tricia Teague, Ward 7 Alderman Doug Ahrens and former Danville police officer Dennis Witsman have also picked up petitions for the April 2027 consolidated election.
Hightower said he’s “holding my cards” until a Chicago law firm offers its opinion about whether the city treasurer position should be changed from elected to appointed.
The city council has been discussing the change because of issues with a past treasurer being derelict in duties. But officials aren’t sure if it can be done by a simple vote of the council or whether a public referendum would be needed because of the 1987 federal consent decree that changed the city’s form of government to aldermanic.
“It’s a grand possibility, because if this passes, where the treasurer becomes an appointed position, yes, I’m going to” run for mayor, Hightower said.
The city’s current treasurer Chris Heeren has picked up petitions to seek re-election. Others who’ve done so for council seats:
- Ward 1: Alderman Ed Butler.
- Ward 2: Alderman Rick Strebing.
- Ward 3: Alderwoman Sherry Pickering and former Alderwoman Brenda Brown.
- Ward 4: Alderman Mike O’Kane.
- Ward 5: Alderwoman Eve Ludwig and Jakob Dazey.
- Ward 6: Alderman Jon Cooper.
- Ward 7: Alderman Barry Johnson.
Potential candidates must turn in their completed paperwork, including signed petitions, to the Danville Election Commission office between Oct. 19 and 26.
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