Oct. 19—ANDERSON — There will be a change in the makeup of the Madison County Council to start the new year.
Three incumbent Republicans are absent from the November ballot, with Ben Gale and Anthony Emery deciding not to seek re-election and Mikeal Vaughn losing in the primary.
The council members for the past two years have all been Republicans.
There have been two voting blocs on the current council, with Gale and Emery joined in the most votes by Diana Likens and Rob Steele.
The other voting bloc consists of Vaughn, Bethany Keller and Jodi Norrick.
The three Republicans running are all first-time candidates: Kristi Grabowski, Scott Green and Jonathan Culp.
Culp is the son of Anderson City Councilwoman Jennifer Culp and the county’s next auditor, Todd Culp, who defeated Katherine Callahan in the primary and is running unopposed for that position.
The three Democrats include former county councilman Fred Reese, who lost his bid for re-election to Norrick in 2022; Rebecca Crumes, a former Anderson City Council member; and primary candidate Steve Holtzleiter.
Grabowski said she follows national politics but was determined there was more impact at the local level.
“I was attending county council meetings and wanted to get involved,” she said. “I am running to represent the taxpayers.”
Grabowski said she wants to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent as intended.
“I’m just one of them,” she said. “I’m a taxpayer.”
Grabowski said the biggest problem the council faces is providing adequate funding for public safety.
“We need to make public safety funding a priority to retain the people we have and attract new residents,” she said.
Scott Green said he has been encouraged by several people to lead and has been active in the community, serving on nonprofit boards and a school board.
“I think the county council suits my skill set,” he said. “I understand how boards work and I am willing to listen to people.”
Green said he’s not afraid to make tough decisions. He expressed disappointment at some of the rhetoric and anger displayed at recent council meetings.
He said funding is a concern and the biggest problem facing the council.
“Nobody wants to pay more taxes,” Green said, “but they want good service. County workers need to feel valued. We need to prioritize spending on public safety and public health.”
Culp said he believes the council needs a fresh vision to keep the county moving in the right direction.
“I want to see the province prosper,” he said. “I want people to want Madison County as their home.”
Culp said if elected, he would like to improve communication between the council, commissioners and department heads.
“When fluid communication is established, we can focus on economic growth in Madison County so we can build a county with a higher quality of life,” he said.
Reese wants to return to the council. He pointed to his record, which he said shows that he can work across party lines.
“We’re dealing with the same issues,” he said. “I’m running because I love my community and want to create solutions.”
Reese said his biggest concern is the construction of the new $100 million prison.
“I’m concerned about the lack of progress,” he said. “We are dealing with overcrowding and we need to be able to reduce the number of prisoners.”
Holtzleiter retired after 31 years with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and as a member of the Indiana National Guard.
Holtzleiter said the county is dealing with an issue of wasteful spending.
“The current council does not get along well with each other and with the other provincial office holders,” he said. “I’m tired of the lack of trust at the ballot box. My policy is to put people first.”
Both Reese and Holtzleiter expressed concern about the issues facing Central Dispatch.
“We need to pay better,” Holtzleiter said of the coordinators. “Funding needs to be addressed and we need to find another way to finance shipping.”
Reese said setting up Central Dispatch for the county was not done well in the beginning.
“When they approved the public safety tax increase, it was not used as intended,” he said. “It was about providing raises. We need to prioritize spending. The blame needs to be placed on the commissioners.”
Crumes said she decided to run for district office because she has the time to serve and remains interested in helping people work together.
“When the same people get elected, they become complacent,” she said. “We need people to do the research and look at the decisions that are made.”
Crumes said a major issue facing the county is the construction of the new jail and drainage in the area is an issue.
“The province needs to have a balanced budget, but there is a lot of disagreement and the process needs to be better explained,” she said.
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
