WITH AUDIO; Updated 3-27 6p
Racine---State Rep. Cory Mason and former mayoral candidate Melvin Hargrove have become the first candidates to enter the city's upcoming race for mayor following John Dickert's resignation announcement Monday.
Mason spoke to reporters in the mayor's office just after Dickert revealed he plans to step down this summer to become president of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a water advocacy group."The decision was not an easy one," he said. "I had a long conversation with my family."
Dickert introduced Mason, but stopped short of issuing a full-throated endorsement.
A few hours later, Rev. Melvin Hargrove told the Journal Times that he'll run again. Hargrove, a former Racine School Board president, unsuccessfully tried to unseat Dickert two years ago.
A pair of city council members--Sandy Weidner and Q.A. Shakoor---are said to be considering possible bids.
Dickert said that he anticipates that a special election will be held this fall. In between Dickert's departure and the election, it's possible that the city might be led for a time by the city council president, a position that's filled annually by a vote of council members. The current president, Dennis Wiser, is not up for re-election next week, and indicated that he'd be willing to stay on as council president when the new terms begin, and therefore would be available to serve as acting mayor.
Dickert, who's in the middle of his third term, will fill a vacancy at the Initiative that's been created by the pending retirement of the group's director. Dickert said he was approached by a search committee and hadn't lobbied for the job. Dickert said he and his wife will continue to live in Racine, and that he plans to commute by train to Chicago, where the Initiative is headquartered.
The 55 year-old Dickert has been passionate about water issues for some time. In addition to having sat on the board of directors of the Initiative, Dickert is a member of the state's Coastal Management Commission and the U.S. Conference of Mayor's Water Council.
Dickert told reporters that the country is headed for big problems if it doesn't get serious about water shortage issues. "Water is the next major political and economic battle ground for this country and for our future," he said. "The new administration in Washington has made it clear that we will have significant challenges ahead of us."
Dickert indicated that he's particularly concerned about the recent ruling that allowed the City of Waukesha to siphon water from Lake Michigan, opening the door for dozens of other communities in need of water that are near but not on the Great Lakes. "We're using water like it's a resource that is always going to be there and always going to be re-charged and re-generated. The Great Lakes only recharges at 1% per year."
Mason told reporters that if elected he would continue to press forward on many of the issues that Dickert launched. "I see myself as sort of picking up the torch where this administration has taken the city," Mason said. "The issues remain the same. We have accomplished a great deal but there are challenges that remain."
Chief among them is the development of a proposed arena and convention center, and the development of a proposed residential and retail center along the Root River that's been dubbed "Machinery Row."
Mason, a Democrat, has represented his district in the Assembly for over 11 years.
The full audio of Monday's press conference is below.
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