HOOPESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — A Central Illinois City is voting on a new mayor on Tuesday. Will an incumbent win another term in Hoopeston or will his challenger take the job?

Current mayor Jeff Wise said he’s the man for the job. Wise has been in office for three years.
He believes the city has seen a lot of success, like the demolition of nine downtown buildings and bringing in a tractor supply to the area.

“So this is a team thing. We work with everybody. And, you know, like I said, this is something I take very seriously. And I work for the city of Hoopeston,” Wise said.

His opponent Tracy Carter decided to run for mayor after friends and family believed he’d be the one to make a difference in the city. Carter said he currently works for a manufacturing company in town and has experience managing a yearly budget. He also did various other village jobs, like working for the water department when he lived in Rankin.

“I’d like to see changes. You know, I really support our small businesses in town. They do a lot for us because we’ve got a lot of small businesses and just the two major industries at this time. So that’s kind of when I decided I would go ahead and throw my hat in the ring for mayor,” Carter said.

Wise said if he’s re-elected his first goal is to continue moving forward with the water waste system project. As for Carter, his mission is to work on infrastructure and bring in new businesses.

People in Hoopeston can vote at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall on Tuesday. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.