By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Normal mayor Chris Koos said the incentives the town has offered businesses such at Rivian Automotive and Portillo’s were critical to landing those businesses.

Koos’ opponent in the mayor race, Marc Tiritilli, has said those incentives are unnecessary and will only dig the town deeper into debt. Koos told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn, he doesn’t believe brand name stores will just drive the mom-and-pops out of business.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Patti’s interview with Koos on WJBC.

“Where small businesses have the advantage over places like a bigger business like a Portillo’s or like a Dick’s Sporting Goods is the unique flavor they bring into their business, the high level of customer service that you’re not getting at the bigger box (stores),” Koos said.

Koos added business owners need to adapt to the times and emphasize customer service.

Koos said the town stands ready to assist a proposed soccer complex in the Twin Cities should that plan become reality. The town plans to set aside money from a portion of the one-cent sales tax increase it approved in 2015.

“We take those dollars that we said could possibly go to that every year and we put that into infrastructure,” Koos said. “So those dollars get spent on infrastructure until there’s some larger plan.”

Koos tells WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn any plan would require a public, private partnership. The soccer fields near Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington could be going away soon unless the airport gets the nod from the FAA to extend a lease of that property.

Koos is seeking a fourth term as mayor. The election is on Tuesday.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].