PAXTON — With the sun peeking through the clouds on a calm Wednesday morning in downtown Paxton, the city’s longtime mayor, Bill Ingold, walked along the newly repaved sidewalk with a manilla folder in one hand and a pen in the other, busy collecting signatures from Paxton’s registered voters to support his candidacy in next April’s election for a sixth straight four-year term.
Like other candidates for elected office across the area, Ingold was busy circulating his election petition ahead of the filing period for the April 1 consolidated election, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 12, and runs through 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, when petitions are due.
After almost 20 years as mayor of the Ford County seat, the 75-year-old Ingold thought about finally ending his run — which began in 2005 when he replaced Jim Kingston — but ultimately opted for a sixth term. If he wins re-election, it would set up the possibility for Ingold, if he is up for it, to run again in 2029 to match his late predecessor as the city’s longest-serving mayor ever — at 28 years.
Busy collecting registered voters’ signatures in downtown Paxton on Wednesday, Bill Ingold is seeking a sixth consecutive four-year term as Paxton’s mayor in the April 1 consolidated election.
Ingold has actually been serving the city much longer, though, starting as an alderman in August 1990 — a role he continued before winning his first term as mayor in a three-way race 19 years ago that also featured two of his onetime colleagues on the city council, Tom McQuinn and Dan Beppler, and was the last time Ingold was challenged.
So far, no opponents have emerged for this next go-around, either.
If re-elected, Ingold hopes to see through a number of prospects for growth in Paxton, which he has called home his entire life. Among them: a sprawling three-phase residential and commercial development by Interstate 57 that could be a boon to the town of 4,450.
“Do we want it to happen? You bet,” Ingold said last month following a presentation to the city council on the development. “This is what we want (as a city), and this is what we need (as a city).”
On Thursday, Ingold said he just got done talking on the phone with the city’s development consultant, Fredi Beth Schmutte, about the hopeful availability of federal and/or state grants to fund a second phase of the downtown’s streetscape improvement project, which would include new sidewalks and lightpoles downtown in the 200 blocks of North and South Market Street.
With other developments in the works, as well, it is a lot of work being mayor, Ingold acknowledged, “but I enjoy it,” he noted.
“This is what I like doing,” Ingold said. “There are a lot of irons in the fire and things going on … and I’d like to at least get a good start on some of them.”
Ingold said he planned to file his election paperwork at City Hall “bright and early” on the opening of the filing period.
Going for another term as mayor, Ingold said, was decided only after “quite a bit” of discussion with his wife of 54 years, Lynn. He said he initially had concerns about the time commitment, but she convinced him it would be worth it.
“She said, ‘No, I want you to do it,’” Ingold said. “She said, ‘I want you to go ahead and do this.’ And I said, ‘Fine.’ … It’s all doable. We’re all good with it.”
The community-minded Ingold, who also at one time served as president of the Paxton Community Hospital board, retired in summer 2016 from a lengthy career in farm equipment sales and service. His career began mostly on the service side at Paxton Farm Equipment, now home of Plastic Designs Inc., before transitioning into a sales role at Arends Brothers in Melvin in 1986 after Paxton Farm Equipment closed. He was at Arends Brothers until 1999, when he moved to his final landing spot, Arends & Sons in Gibson City.
Ingold was born at Paxton Community Hospital and grew up on College Street before graduating in 1967 from Paxton High School. As a senior in high school, Ingold met his future wife — who is a year younger and moved to Paxton from Pontiac in seventh grade — as they were “draggin’ Main” downtown.
They celebrated 54 years of marriage in October and have lived at the same Vermilion Street home for 53 of those years.
“I’m not too much on change,” Ingold said.
Also running — or not?
Also planning to seek re-election are Gibson City Mayor Dan Dickey, who will be vying for a sixth consecutive four-year term, along with Piper City Village President Jeff Orr, Sibley Village President Jim Kearney and longtime Rankin Village President Aaron Warren.
Roberts Village President Matt Vaughan and Elliott Village President Josh Rouley were both undecided as of last month, although Vaughan said he was leaning toward running again.
Loda Village President Carol Arseneau has said she is not seeking another term.
There was no word yet from Melvin Village President Austin Fancher or Buckley Village President Evan Scott Shockley.