Joel Fritzler

Much as with Chris Wissmann, Joel Fritzeler's comments on his campaign are paraphrased from my notes rather than verbatim:

Why are you running for re-election?
People asked him to. He blames his parents for instilling a sense of community and wanting to make a difference. It certainly has been an interesting experience.

What do you bring to the council?
As the only non-native Illinoisan on the council, he brings an alternative voice. He wasn’t brought up in Illinois politics and has no aspirations to higher office.

When you talk with people, what issues concern them?
Taxes, they’re too high and seem to be going up. The Saluki Way tax is a matter of concern as are property taxes. There’s a fear they city might reinstate the property tax. One constituent asked him to do something about the deer getting into their flowers.

The tax donation to the Saluki Way project was the most controversial item the council voted on during the past term. Are you still hearing from people about it?

Oh yes. People know he voted against the tax and all of the people he hears from oppose the tax. They’re supportive of SIUC academics since a quality academic program brings in the students but not the athletic program. He remembers getting calls from people outside the community lobbying him to vote in favor of the tax. Especially, there was one man from Springfield who called to urge him to vote for the tax so the caller would have a better place to watch football.

Where would you like to see Carbondale in two years?

He’d like to see housing improved and the moratorium on new rental building lifted since he believes the decline in the quality of rental property is a major factor in the decline in enrollment at SIUC and quality rental housing will help to bring the students back. New development will put pressure on current landlords to improve their properties. He’d like to see deteriorating properties either pulled down or rehabbed, instead of being left alone to blight the neighborhood.
He world also like to see more emphasis by the city on downtown Carbondale, feeling the city could do more to promote use of the civic center facilities to draw people downtown.