The Champaign City Council held its regular meeting Tuesday to discuss candidates for the current council member vacancy.
In early March, council member Dave Johnson, district 5, left his position to pursue another job in Cleveland. His departure left a position open on the council. Three Champaign residents, Gordy Hulten, Tim Wild and Cathy Emanuel, have applied for the position.
Hulten is a 2002 University graduate. Hulten works for Devonshire Real Estate Consulting in Champaign, but he said he has been involved in city and government politics in some way or another since 1997.
Hulten said he has been an interested observer and participant in politics for a while.
Hulten addressed concerns that he may be partisan by saying that while he has campaigned for Republican candidates in the past, he knows there are no party politics on the Champaign City Council.
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Hulten created the Web site IlliniPundit.com, an outlet for individuals to discuss local and state politics. Hulten said the Web site has enjoyed mixed success over the years, but he will stop writing for it if he is chosen for the position.
Tim Wild, another candidate, has been a Champaign resident for 36 years. Wild was a member of the Champaign City Fire Department for 31 years.
“Now that I’m retired, I’m ready to give back,” he said.
Wild said his work in the city has given him insight into departments that others may not have, and has made him conscious of local issues.
The final candidate, Cathy Emanuel, said she is new to city government, but is not new to the city.
Emanuel said she has spent 30 years in health care administration, collaborating between hospitals and physicians.
Emanuel, who has worked at Carle Hospital, said she has strived to provide new services to the community.
Emanuel also said she gets a lot of enjoyment out of working hard, and said she is sure she can provide the time and the dedication that a position on the Champaign City Council requires.
Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart said that any of the three candidates would fit well on the council.
“I don’t think there’s a bad one in the bunch,” he said.
Schweighart also said he knows who he is voting for and has known for some time.
A decision on who will fill the position will be made at the council meeting on April 20.
