Mayoral race roundup: Four have entered, one can win

ALTON - While the Alton mayoral election is not until April 4, 2017, the campaign is in full swing with four candidates in the running. 

Those candidates include a community activist, a business owner, a police officer and current Alton Mayor Brant Walker. Each sees a bright future for Alton in both very similar and very different ways. This is a summary of each candidate and their platforms. 

Brant Walker: Walker has been the Mayor of Alton since he won as a write-in candidate in 2013. Under his administration, Alton has seen the opening of 200 businesses, parks and infrastructure being improved utilizing grants, a balanced budget, lower crime rate and an Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating of two from the former four, which helps the residents of Alton have a lower insurance cost. For his reelection, Walker said he hopes to continue this progress by utilizing his administration's talent and expertise. He also wants to secure grant funding for several future projects. Walker has also overseen four historic floods during his administration, including one in which a wall was built by citizens to save Downtown. He said he would continue that emphasis on public safety and economic growth if reelected.

Scott Dixon: Dixon announced his candidacy at Lincoln-Douglas Square in early August. Dixon has very long roots in Alton; his stone mason ancestors literally built the town. He also also served on several Alton committees and has worked tirelessly in the past for the betterment of the city through his family's business, Dixon Distributing, PRIDE, Inc. and Alton Main Street, among others. He is running on a platform to make Alton a better place to live by easing the economy away from the rust-belt and toward becoming a destination, a policy he shares with Walker. Dixon's plan incorporates several methods to bring people to Alton, including utilizing its natural beauty to create paths and trails for young people with active lifestyles. Dixon also has a spirit of cooperation within his campaign for the people of Alton to work together to build a better and more transparent future together. Dixon also describes himself as an "urban planning geek" and wants to use his research to make Alton a more livable city and a desirable destination. His experience and education in business management are also assets Dixon said he would use in order to create a better Alton. 

Dan Rauschkolb: Rauschkolb is an Alton Police officer who said his experience with the force has shown him the best and worst of Alton. He said he has experience with all of Alton's neighborhoods. He said that experience and his position make him more in tune with the needs of the average Altonian, a trait he said sets him apart from the rest of the candidates. If elected, Rauschkolb said he would champion "strict code enforcement," and work against the graffiti and litter he believes is taking away from the beautiful appearance of Alton to people coming from other places. He said he wanted to continue the economic growth of Alton as well, a wish shared by all four men running for mayor. 

Joshua Young: The most recently-announced Alton Mayoral candidate may prove to be the most controversial. Young said he is going to run as a Progressive Democrat. It is nearly unheard of for a local mayoral candidate to run on a partisan platform. Young said he was doing it to fit with his politics. His platform was based on a revival of America's Progressive Era from the 1870s-1920s.

If elected, Young said his administration would be "futuristically transparent," and, like Dixon, said he would call upon Alton's citizens to work together for positive changes.

Young said he wanted to work on initiatives such as solar-paneled streetlights, community gardens and a civilian panel to oversee police affairs. Young describes himself as a "community activist," using scientific methods to better situations. He said he worked to lower the crime rate in Belle Manor using these methods. If elected, Young said he would also continue to work of Alton Main Street and other economic development groups to continue Alton's growth. He said he would spread that growth across demographics and work for integration in the city. He also champions scientific advancement working hand-in-hand with city improvements. 

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