Candidate Interview: Deyon Dean for Mayor of Riverdale
Candidate Interview: Deyon Dean for Mayor of Riverdale (Riverdale, IL)- Deyon Dean, former mayor of Riverdale, is running this term for another chance at being Mayor. Dean previously served as Mayor from 2009 – 2013 and he feels that he is the right man for the job.
Dean’s History
Deyon Dean has been a resident of Riverdale for about 27 years. He purchased his home at 24 years old, andstill resides in the same house.
Dean first successfully ran for Mayor of Riverdale in 2008. He took office in 2009 and served until 2013. Dean said “there were a lot of shenanigans to keep me off the ballot,” when asked about what kept him from winning his reelection bid in 2013. Dean asserted that his campaign was embroiled in frivolous lawsuits. These lawsuits kept his name off the ballot until the weekend before Election Day. Although successful in fighting off the lawsuits, Dean’s name was only able to be placed on the paper ballots. He said that he missed out on early voting and was not on the electronic ballot. This likely cost him many votes. The final results of the 2013 General Election in Riverdale was 851 (Jackson) to 684 (Dean).
When asked if he anticipates any of the same troubles this time around, Dean said that he did not receive any challenges. However, Dean did mention that Jackson used a lot of negativity the last time they faced off. Dean stated that he faced many false accusations, one of which tied him to a “bad business.” He said that the accusations were unfounded. He said that his administration was the reason they were able to rid the village of the said “bad business.”
Why Run Again?
Deyon Dean had plenty to say when asked why he is running for another term. Dean said that there is currently absolutely no relationship between the Mayor’s administration and the business community. He said that, “Riverdale needs to create a friendly business environment. Currently, a lot of business owners are unhappy. They have no relationship with the administration. When someone is looking to open a business, they are going to talk to the current businesses in Riverdale. When that business has nothing good to say, then that new business is probably going to look elsewhere.” He said that the village needs to attract new businesses. More economic development in Riverdale would help to relieve some of the tax burdens on residents, stating that “taxes are high.”
Dean would like to also see more community outreach. According to Dean, there is no real outreach to the community. “People don’t attend village board meetings. Those who do, don’t feel welcome.”
Dean also cited many unhappy village employees and tension among the taxing bodies. He stated that when he was mayor, there was a resource center that dealt with working with the separate government entities (ie. school board, park district). Dean emphasized that this type of relationship no longer exists. He divulged that the current administration attacks those entities instead of working with them. He mentioned redundancy in some of the programs, which is a waste of tax-payer resources and dollars. “In order to have a strong community, you need to have a strong relationship with all the government entities. That’s where our tax dollars go. And we need to be working hand-in-hand with each other to ensure that those tax dollars are being spent wisely,” said Dean, “It brings an atmosphere of hope.”
Candidate Interview: Deyon Dean for Mayor of Riverdale
Responses