Election season is always an exciting time, especially when the candidates are so varied in what they want to bring to DeKalb. This time around, DeKalb had three mayoral candidates with a plethora of plans for the city of DeKalb.

Tuesday night, incumbent acting mayor Kris Povlsen was elected for his first full term. Although he has only served for about eight months, DeKalb residents feel confident enough in his leadership abilities to allow him to lead us through the economic crisis, the fruition of Re:New DeKalb and the city’s current growth spurt.

Since he took office in August, Povlsen has led the city calmly albeit quietly.

The late Mayor Frank Van Buer hoped to bring improvements to the urban center of DeKalb with the ongoing Re:New DeKalb project. Despite a great initiative, the goal of Re:New DeKalb has been slightly skewed since the start of the project.

The start of a new term will hopefully reinvigorate the mayor, and it serves as a jumping-off point to getting projects such as Re:New DeKalb back on track.

The mayor should also consider proposing more dramatic initiatives for the city than he acknowledged in his campaign. Bringing jobs to the city’s core should be a priority if the mayor hopes to weather the economic storm. Paul Kallembach, an opponent of Povlsen’s in the mayoral race, proposed many dramatic ways to bring more stable, long-term jobs and industry to the city. Kallembach’s ideas were ambitious and their impact upon the city would resonate. He wanted to bring more manufacturing opportunities so the city’s strategic location near two major highways would be fully utilized.

Kallembach, like so many DeKalb residents, supports the wind farm and the exciting opportunities it could bring to DeKalb. His confidence in the development of sustainable energy is something our mayor should push for strongly. The city of DeKalb cannot survive on weak plans. Kallembach’s ideas were risky, but the rewards would have been fruitful for the city.

A city benefits most from an election when candidates are able to propose ideas to the constituents and strengthen the city’s overall potential. This election, which occurred in the middle of an economic crisis, forced all candidates to think strategically about ways to improve DeKalb’s own fiscal outlook. If the mayor ignores the ideas proposed by his opposition, the city of DeKalb will suffer. Dramatic changes are needed for DeKalb to regain its strength, and it’s Povlsen’s job to bring change to DeKalb starting today.