The 2nd District of the Peoria City Council, which Bradley falls into, is now represented by a Bradley alumnus.
Chuck Grayeb ’72, ’79 has been an at-large member for the council from 1995-2007. He was elected Tuesday to represent the 2nd district, which encompasses the West Bluff and parts of Peoria.
“I believe the 2nd district is second to none,” Grayeb said. “I feel privileged to represent the district that has Bradley in it.”
According to the Peoria Journal Star, Grayeb defeated the incumbent Barbara Van Auken by receiving 52 percent of the vote. Out of all the five district races, this election was the only one where both candidates had City Council experience.
Grayeb said he wants more students to get involved in the City Council.
“I want to ensure that the Bradley student body has a place at the table with issues that affect the 2nd district,” he said. “My main goal is to integrate the community into the district. I want to have a Bradley student represented in the neighborhood associations like the West Bluff Council. It’s important to have that meaningful dialogue because [students] are a part of the community.”
Another goal of Grayeb’s is to build up Main Street. He said the entrepreneurship progress of some Main Street shops, like Broken Tree Coffee, is promising.
“I want to make [Main Street] an exciting place to be,” he said. “I can feel the excitement in the Main Street quarter for Bradley.”