In an effort to help the public make informed decisions in the upcoming Consolidated Election April 4th, we at WROY/WRUL News asked candidates in the contested races for the City of Carmi to fill out a short questionnaire.
Shelia Jo Headlee
Carmi Alderman Ward #1
- Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello, I am Sheila Jo Headlee your Alderman for Ward 1 in the City of Carmi. I have been your Alderman for the last 4 years and I am asking for your vote and support April 4, 2017. I am married to Tom Headlee and the daughter of Charles and Nancy Browning and the late Patty Jo Browning. My grandparents were business owners of James Shoe Shop for many years. I was born in Carmi, IL and have lived here all of my 55 years. I have one son Thomas Charles Headlee who is a student at Southeastern Illinois College. I work for the White County Sheriff’s Department and am a member of the First Christian Church in Carmi.
- Why do you want to serve?
I have lived in Carmi all of my life and I am very proud to be from this community. I love the way everyone comes together to help residents in good and in bad times. We are a community of heart and I am very proud of that. I want to be on the City Council to be a voice for those in need and do everything in my power try to make their lives easier. I want to help Carmi grow and prosper for our children, and future generations to be able to raise their families in this community and not be forced to move away to make a living.
- What are the biggest issues you see facing your desired position? How do you plan to address these issues?
I believe that the economy is a big issue for Carmi. With the losing of White County Coal, we have to be very diligent in not overspending and keeping within our budget limits. We also need to focus on drawing jobs to our community. I feel that we have done this by creating the Enterprise Zone and the TIF districts to help new and existing businesses grow through tax incentives and business development tools. This will help give new businesses incentives to relocate to Carmi and help build up our economy. I have been proactive in wanting to upgrade our infrastructure with the new upgrades at the Blue Goose for our water supply and the upgrades we have made at the Light Plant with the new SCATA system for computer upgrades to be able to communicate with the sub-stations within the City of Carmi. This is a very intricate system be able to keep Carmi with power by computer instead of manually switching levers and waiting long periods of time before power is restored.
- What sets you apart from the other candidates? Why should voters choose you on April 4th?
I have worked very hard this past 4 years to completely revamp the budget for the City of Carmi and created a true budget. When I was appointed as Chairman of the Finance Committee there were no budgets for departments and you couldn’t get a true accurate account of the monies spent per department. Once I split out the departments you could see which areas needed assistance and which we could save money in. We have made major upgrades on our sidewalks to make them safer for our residents and have demolished unsafe properties within the City of Carmi. I am Co-Chairman on the Airport and we have made major improvements to the building to accommodate the pilots and meeting areas. We have redone the outer yard with new landscaping to make it more desirable to customers who come to our facility and hopefully spark their interest in our area. I have completed these jobs and have always tried to stay fiscally responsible and stayed within our budget. I would like to thank you for your vote and support and look forward to seeing what we all can do for the future of Carmi.
