DANVILLE — Danville has a newly-elected city treasurer and two new aldermen who will be serving the city.
Challenger Chris Heeren defeated City Treasurer Careth Klewicki by a vote of 3,009 to 1,161, according to unofficial vote totals in the April 4 consolidated election.
Klewicki was appointed in June 2022 to fill former treasurer Stephanie Wilson’s unexpired term. She worked as accounts payable administrator for several years in the city’s finance department.
On social media, Klewicki thanked her supporters and said she worked hard and cleaned up what she could with the treasurer’s office. Now it’s Heeren’s turn in office, and she said she’ll do everything in her power to set him up for success.
Heeren said he will be quitting his full-time position with Danville School District 118 to become city treasurer. Heeren has been a long-term substitute teacher in special education.
“I’m really excited about it,” Heeren said about being elected city treasurer. “We got so much support from all the city.”
He said he’s looking forward to serving the community.
“I love learning new things,” Heeren said.
In Danville City Council alderman races, Ward 1 Alderman challenger Ed Butler defeated Alesia “Lisa” Ford by 14 votes. Butler received 176 votes and Ford received 162 votes.
Butler said he’s excited to join the city council.
“I am looking forward to it. It’s long past due,” he said.
This was the first time he ran for a city office.
He’s long been involved with the city, including with the NAACP. Next, he will be serving the city in a different capacity.
Butler said he will now be “having a seat at the table to represent my people.” That Jon Cooper doesn’t just include residents of Ward 1, but residents throughout the community as a whole, he said.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to,” he said.
In Ward 5, Alderwoman Eve Ludwig received 607 votes to write-in candidate Jakob Dazey’s 86 votes, to continue serving.
Ludwig said her interest as alderman remains to serve the people who are part of Ward 5 and the greater community of Danville.
She and her family will be moving. However, the new city ward map effective April 5 will change the northern part of Logan Avenue, including the location of Ludwig’s new home.
“We are still living in our current home at 9 Harding Place for the near future as we continue to work on the other home and get it ready to move in. Our move will happen sometime after the ward map changes go into effect,” she stated.
In Ward 6, former alderman Jon Cooper was voted back onto the city council. Cooper defeated alderman Ethan Burt. Cooper received 522 votes to Burt’s 318 votes.
“I’m glad to be back,” Cooper said,
However, he said he would have liked to be back “under different circumstances with the mayor.” He supported Jackie Vinson for mayor.
Aldermen uncontested who will continue serving on the Danville City Council are: Ward 2 Alderman Rick Strebing, Ward 3 Alderwoman Sharon Pickering, Ward 4 Alderman Mike O’Kane and Ward 7 Alderman Bob Iverson.