ALTON - Alton Mayor Brant Walker provided the following message to the public at the Get At The Vote gathering Saturday. He reemphasized points he has been making through the campaign.

This was Mayor Walker’s message:

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“I will continue, and expand on, the economic policies that led to so much growth prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic while doing what’s necessary to aid our business community as they recover from this difficult period. We will continue our retail recruitment strategy and pro-actively market our city to potential new businesses, using our access to major infrastructure routes to leverage our position in the regional economy.

“We must also expand on the Community Oriented Policing strategies that have been an emphasis of the Alton Police Department during the entirety of my administration. To that end, in 2017 the Community Relations Committee and APD solicited public input through multiple citizen surveys and a series of public meetings to develop a Community Policing Strategic Plan.

“We’ve also made undeniable strides in minority hiring both on the basis of race and gender. My administration and the Alton Police Department have made strategic efforts to increase minority hiring specifically through the establishment of the lateral entry program.

“My administration has completed more than $6 million dollars in grant funded improvements to our parks including new turf fields and a concession stand at Gordon Moore Park, a new pavilion in Norside Park, repaired the dormant fountain and installed a new play area in Rock Spring Park, resurfaced the courts and installed LED lighting in Killion Park, and replaced the sunken garden planter and sidewalks as part of a complete renovation of Riverview Park. We have also improved our infrastructure by investing more than $3.7 million dollars in grant-funded resurfacing projects for our streets while investing in new sidewalks and making them compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

"As a result of my administration’s economic policies, Alton has been nationally recognized as a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The Travel Channel named Alton as one of the top 50 “Charming Small Towns in America,” Forbes Magazine named Alton “the best place to retire in Illinois,” and the AARP named Alton as one of the “Top 10 Places to Live” in Illinois for seniors. The City of Alton also won Season 3 of Deluxe’s “Small Business Revolution.

“I will continue the City’s efforts to invest in our parks and infrastructure to make the city attractive to potential residents and businesses while giving current residents safe, family friendly public spaces to utilize for recreation and entertainment.

"I remain committed to ensuring that we have safe housing options for residents. I will expand the City’s HOMEownership Program to develop more opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents to achieve the dream of owning their own home.

"Prior to becoming Mayor, I was a small business owner who saw how the unintended consequences of government bureaucracy was stifling Alton’s growth and how the interests of some political insiders were placed ahead of those of the city as a whole.

"As Mayor, I’ve used my skills from the private sector to work with community stakeholders to build consensus and ensure that the City works for everyone, not just insiders and special interests.”

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