By Maria Nagle
The Pantagraph
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A retired Bloomington firefighter filing nominating petitions Monday to run for mayor, setting up a five-way race that likely will trigger a primary election in February.
In announcing his candidacy, Robert Fike, 58, of 4 Elizabeth Way, said he wants the city to cut its losses on the city-owned U.S. Cellular Coliseum, which he said is underperforming financial expectations, and a fire station that has never been used.
“The city spent millions of dollars on that facility (Fire Station 5), and it’s been more than six years now and it’s never been opened,” said Fike of the unoccupied, $3 million building at 2602 Six Points Road that was completed in 2009.
“So if you don’t think the city can waste taxpayers’ money I invite all the citizens to drive out there and take a look at that,” said Fike, a self-described fiscal conservative who retired from the fire department in 2008.
“I am a proponent of finding out what the Coliseum appraises at and selling that, too,” said Fike, noting a majority of voters in a nonbinding referendum in 2004 rejected building it with taxpayer money.
Fike said he also opposes using any taxpayer money to build a hotel downtown.
“We need to get back to what a city actually provides its citizens, and that is an improved infrastructure concentrating on the streets, sidewalks, sewers and water mains,” he said.
Mayor Tari Renner, Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Lower, Ward 8 Alderman Diana Hauman and former radio talk show host Ian Bayne also filed to run for mayor on Monday — the opening day of filing for the April 4 nonpartisan election. Candidates can file petitions through Nov. 28.
In Bloomington, primary elections are held if five or more candidates file for any one seat. If no challenges to candidate petitions are successful, a Feb. 28 vote will narrow the field to two for the April election.
In the mayor’s race, each petition filed must have a minimum of 489 valid signatures, but not more than 783.
“I like to see more candidates because it gives citizens more of a choice,” said Fike, adding he hopes the candidates will stick to talking about the issues and not denigrate one another.
“I look forward to the contrast,” said Renner. “I think we’ve been making great progress in Bloomington on all fronts — transparency, fixing our infrastructure and streets and growing the local economy. I am more than happy to make my case to voters.”
Bayne said he also is looking forward to a primary because he believes his more than 18 years of experience “fighting bad politicians” makes him more qualified “than the thousands of other fiscal conservatives in Bloomington.”
Lower and Hauman did not reply to requests for comment.
Fike said what sets him apart from the other candidates is that he was born and raised in Bloomington-Normal.
Fike said what he will bring to City Hall if elected mayor is a track record of being an “overachiever.” He cited as examples his graduation from Bloomington High School in three years and getting his private pilot’s license at 17 in only one year.
He is an Illinois State University graduate with a degree in mathematics. He and his wife, Suzanne, have been married 37 years and have one adult son, Jesse.
Fike said his only other bid for public office was in 1993 for a seat on the Normal City Council. He was among 12 candidates and did did not win.
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