“I am running for Monroe County Commissioner because I care. I care about clean water in Lake Monroe, so I have backed the Monroe County’s suit against the U.S. Forest Service to prevent burning, logging, clearing cutting, and glyphosate application in a part of the Hoosier National Forest which is in the Lake Monroe Watershed. I care about increasing the availability of childcare openings in our community, so I led the effort to allocate over $1.2M of American Rescue Plan Act funding to do things like support the Summit Hill Childcare Center, the commercial kitchen at the Nest at New Hope for Families, a Jumpstart program in 2021, and funding for a childcare substitute pool. I care about what the new jail and justice campus will look like, so I have toured multiple jails – and hope to tour more – as well as attending a 3-day training on building such a facility.

I care about how opioid settlement money will be spent, and am leading a working group which will make recommendations to the County Council and County Commissioners on how to spend that money. I also worked with members of our health department and people from the Indiana Recovery Alliance to bring an additional $560,000 in opioid grant money into Monroe County. I care about treatment for those with mental illness and substance use disorders, and one of the things I have done to address this is take the lead on bringing the Integrated Reentry and Correctional Supports program – known as IRACS – to Monroe County. I care about increasing recovery housing in our community, I care about improving stormwater drainage, I care about the environment, I care about increasing housing options, I care about extending our county trails, I care about making homelessness rare, brief and non-repeating …. Is that a long enough list of things I care about, or do you want me to keep going?

I have learned that being a County Commissioner requires a flexible schedule and is a full-time job. There are evening meetings, breakfast meetings, and times when I am called up to go testify at the State Capital with less than 12 hours’ notice. When the Commissioners are presented with a rezone request or a drive-way appeal I often drive out to the site. I meet with constituents on their schedules, I attend meetings of various organization to understand what their issues and concern are, and I try to always do my homework.

I’ve been a commissioner for almost 5 years, and I’d like to share with you some of the things I’ve been involved with. We’ve seen two water-shed events in the past 5 years: The COVID-19 pandemic and the federal American Rescue Plan Act which has not only helped us recover financially from the pandemic but provided the funds to create new infrastructure. As the pandemic waned – and as my absence tonight attests to, COVID is still with us – we had a meeting with others around the state to discuss things we had done. We were the only county that provided grants to small businesses and non-profits to help them survive the pandemic. We were the only county that used CARES dollars to increase the amount of funding our township trustees could provide to those in need. We were the only county that had a mask mandate. We were the only county that worked with our restaurants, bars, and retail businesses to have paid individuals go around and “remind” residents of the need to wear a mask. And not only did we give money to Hoosier Hills Food Bank and Pantry 279, but I was out helping with their food distributions.

Being a county commissioner requires dedication, commitment, and in times of crisis, it requires experience and creativity. Again, I’m running for re-election because I care. I hope I will have your vote, and if you want to get involved, please sign up to spread the word. Thank you.”