Republican Bradfield Launches Third Attempt At Urbana Mayor
Bradfield debates Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing in March 2013 at the Champaign City Building. Jeff Bossert/Illinois Public Media
Republican Rex Bradfield is making a third bid for Urbana Mayor. With three Democrats already in the race, that means the city will now have a competitive general election for the office next April. The engineer and land surveyor says the city’s tax revenue should come from luring business to Urbana, rather than raising property taxes on residents.
Bradfield says the city has wasted money on the Boneyard Creek Beautification project and redevelopment of the now-closed Urbana Landmark Hotel. He says there’s simply not enough to lure people downtown.
“There’s nothing down there to see," he said. "So those types of expenditures or money could be much better spent enticing businesses to down and put their businesses in downtown Urbana. And those businesses should be associated with the University of Illinois, or technical businesses.”
Bradfield says beautification efforts in Southeast Urbana have hurt the traffic flow, meaning business don’t want to locate in the area.
He’s lost twice in trying to unseat current mayor Laurel Prussing, in 2009 and 2013. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois House in 2006, losing to retired representative Naomi Jakobsson, and in last spring’s primary for Champaign County Recorder.
Bradfield will face the winner of the February 28th primary between Prussing, Urbana Alderwoman Diane Marlin, and Reverend Evelyn Burnette Underwood.
The general municipal election is April 4th.