BLOOMINGTON —Ward 4 resident Julie Emig announced today that she will be running to replace Alderman Amelia Buragas on the Bloomington City Council. Emig, who is employed as an instructional assistant professor for Illinois State University, says she is motivated to run to ensure that Bloomington continues its upward momentum while increasing access and participation for all members of the community.
“Bloomington is a great place to live, work, and play,” Emig said. “I want to make sure that it not only stays that way for the next generation of residents, but also seeks ways to improve so that all of us can move beyond the status quo.”
Emig says she intends to focus on the diversification of economic development, financial stability, and strengthening collaborative initiatives between public and private sectors. She also wants to see the city council place an emphasis on actions that strengthen neighborhoods and communities. This includes strong oversight of rental properties, facilitating collaborative initiatives to strengthen social services, as well as continued support for preservation of historic neighborhoods. Emig noted that she would like to see prioritization of taxpayer dollars based on need so that all residents can enjoy the same basic level of infrastructure and quality of life.
“Our neighborhoods are the foundation upon which this community is built,” Emig said. “A failure to adequately fund the aging infrastructure in our historic neighborhoods weakens the entire city.”
Emig is actively involved in the community. She is the Youth Exchange Officer for the Bloomington-Normal Sunrise Rotary Club and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for the YMCA. She also serves on the Boards for the Ecology Action Center and BCAI School of Arts. She graduated from the Multicultural Leadership Program in 2018 and completed a community service project on a door-to-door campaign for the Bloomington Public Library.
Emig lives with her partner, Mary, in the White Place Historic District where the couple is raising their three-year-old daughter.