Sheriff, commissioner primary candidates respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire

County Sheriff

1. Why are you the best choice for Putnam County Sheriff?

2. If elected, how will you work to ensure that your officers adhere to a high-level of responsibility in performance of all of their duties?

3. What are the three most pressing law enforcement issues facing Putnam County?

4. What do you think the Putnam County Sheriff's Department needs to do to maximize its resources, financial and otherwise?

Steve Fenwick

Republican

1. Since taking over as sheriff in 2008 with a Republican precinct caucus vote and then being elected in 2010 as sheriff by the citizens of this great county, I have always been the working sheriff. I continue to be available in the office every day and I am usually out patrolling different communities in the evening. I have maintained this throughout my tenure as sheriff and since becoming a member of this department I have always cared about my community. I have served with the Sheriff's Department for over 33 years now and I am committed to helping this community be a better place to live and raise a family.

2. In all good businesses there must be good leaders, law enforcement is no different. I will go back and see if changes need to be made in supervisory roles in order to ensure that our officers are being held to a higher standard. I will also have to take a look at myself and the way I manage. We have grown from a department of nine to a department of 20 who range in ages from 23 to nearly 60, each one having different personalities and different work ethics. We must work together both new and old to become better deputies and leaders in the community.

3. Drugs, property crimes and technology. Meth and drugs continue to be a problem in most all communities in Indiana. Deputies must continue to be proactive in arresting those individuals. The justice system must continue to either attempt to rehabilitate those who are willing or incarcerate those who are not. Burglaries and thefts occur in Putnam County and are usually tied in some way to meth and other drugs because people using drugs become more susceptible to commit other crimes in order to get money to purchase more drugs. Using technology to better track and find drug offenders is a must.

4. Our budgets have been closely monitored since taking over as Sheriff in 2008. Our increases since that time have come mostly in vehicles or vehicle expenses of gasoline and maintenance costs. I am always trying to find ways to do and accomplish things with less monies. There are certain aspects of this job that require advances in technology and equipment. We try and get as many years as we can out of a vehicle before retiring it and we try and reuse equipment until they become obsolete and in need of an upgrade.

Scott Stockton

Republican

1. I have worked for one of the most demanding police agencies in the State of Indiana for over 27 years. I have been well trained in the cutting edge of modern policing strategies and the best practices of police management. I have seen firsthand how successful law enforcement officers can save innocent lives and improve entire communities, but at the same time I have seen how untrained and/or unethical officers can blemish an entire department.

If elected to serve the citizens of Putnam County as your next sheriff, I will bring the best of my training and experience from the Indiana State Police and the three federal agencies I have been honored to serve to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department. Lastly, I will lead by example and require the men and women of the Sheriff's Department treat the public in a professional manner with an appropriate demeanor at all times.

2. The first step is to develop and adhere to a mission statement. It is the responsibility of the Sheriff to solicit community expectations and integrate those into the agency's mission. From there, specific goals and objectives must be communicated to the officers to guide a work product that is consistent with the mission.

Secondly the infusion of human resources in three components:

a) Job descriptions for all employees of the Department. Job descriptions act as guideposts for employee responsibilities and remove ambiguity.

b) An employee evaluation system ensuring expectations are being met.

c) Implementation of a complaint and disciplinary procedure.

3. I think the three most pressing law enforcement issues facing Putnam County are financial concerns, providing sufficient manpower to adequately cover calls for service, and most importantly changing the current culture of policing.

Any well trained and experienced police manager can efficiently remedy the first two concerns. However, changing the current policing culture will take more than a manager--it will take a leader. I will continue to lead those officers who work under my direction to serve with a servant's heart. Too many police officers lose sight of the fact that we serve at the pleasure of the public.

4. To operate at maximum efficiency, the Sheriff must engage in regularly scheduled efficiency reviews and make services and financial decisions based on the data. For example, the Sheriff should routinely review the services being provided by the agency and weigh them against the needs and demands of the citizens of the county. Those services that do not meet the litmus test of public need should be eliminated. Purchases of equipment and services must be evaluated in terms of needs versus wants, versatility, duplication of effort, short/long term serviceability and cost. All financial decisions must be made with reverent regard of the public coffers.

Robert Craig Sibbitt

Republican

1. I know with my life experiences as a citizen, farmer, jailer, and road deputy; I am the best choice for the sheriff of Putnam County. Not only because of my experience as a successful farmer for close to 30 years and making $100,000 decisions monthly, but I also served as a jailer. I was later appointed to supervisor, where I was trained in all aspects of the jail. As a citizen and a deputy, I work with the great people of this county on a daily basis. I have seen firsthand almost every aspect of the citizen's needs and problems that we face. I will always keep the citizens' views in mind and will ALWAYS base my decisions upon them, first and foremost. My deputies will be held accountable for their actions, but I will be the first to pat them on the back for a job well done.

2. I will hold all deputies accountable for their actions. If there are any reports of wrongdoing, I will have all accusations investigated. I will make sure my deputies and supervisors lead by example. If they do not, I will take action; whether that is by suspension or termination. No matter what call my deputies are answering, dangerous or otherwise, calls will be answered with respect and concern. I will have follow-up procedures in place to judge deputies' performance. I will be fair, but firm with my department. It's about the citizens and how we serve you as a department.

3. The three most pressing issues facing our county are prescription and street drugs, theft and animal control. Because 70% of all crime is narcotics related, if we combat the narcotics problem we combat all forms of crime. I will work closely with doctors, educate schools, but to a higher level. Officer presence is a must. I want a 24/7 undercover task force. Animal control is a must and I want to implement a plan that will consistently benefit the county, not a rushed decision during election time. It is something the county needs and it must not fail this time.

4. We can maximize our resources by being fiscally responsible with our budget. We need to adhere to the budget and not spend frivolously. We need to anticipate our needs more thoroughly and not just go ask for money when it runs out. The crazy spending needs to stop. I plan on implementing a policy for the buying of new vehicles. They have to be a need, not just a want. We need to look at everything we spend from lights on vehicles to the purchasing of brand new riding lawn mowers. We must anticipate, not be surprised.

County Commissioners

District 2

1. Why are you the best choice for Putnam County voters?

2. What issues are you hearing from Putnam County residents that you feel are pressing matters for the county, and how will you address them?

3. What ideas do you have for cost savings for the county?

4. What changes do you propose to improve the infrastructure of the county?

Rick Woodall

Republican

1. I am the best choice for commissioner because of my vested interest in the county. I have five generations of family living in this county and I want to insure from my grandma all the way down to my granddaughters that we have the best county to live in. I have dedicated my life to serve the community in various clubs and boards and will continue to serve in any way I can and serving as your elected commissioner is another way to put my talents and abilities to good use for the people of Putnam County. The Integrity and ability to make the right decisions whether good or bad with confidence are traits that are needed and traits that I bring to the table.

2. Roads, roads, roads! After the winter we just had that has to be the biggest issue. The only way I see that we can address them is to rate all the roads in the county and give them a score and proceed to start fixing them with the dollars we have available. I know that this is a short answer but sometimes you just need to just start fixing and not over think things! Most times in government we definitely over think things.

3. Why wouldn't we try to do everything we could in House? I would look over everything we do in this county and utilize the talent we have and I realize that not everything could be done this way but I think a good portion of it could be. I would be a very big part of the bid process on jobs and I'd be sure we sent out for multiple bids, so I would ensure that we are comparing apples to apples.

4. I believe we come up with a one-year plan and a five-year plan to rate all the infrastructure in the county and then compare that plan to the budgets for the next five years and see what we can get done. The infrastructure will quickly get away from us if it hasn't already and this is something that the three commissioners have to be on the same page on and work toward the same goals.

John Huber

Republican

1. I have experience, honesty and integrity. With over 39 years of experience and 29 of those years as a small business owner, I have built bridges, roads, sanitary and storm sewers. I have worked in 11 different counties performing various projects. I understand and know about budgets, time lines, contracts and bids. I have always worked well with others and know how to resolve issues without compromising my values of honesty and integrity.

2. Our roads will be a top priority, as the rough conditions and potholes will need to be addressed. The roads would need to be evaluated and prioritized per district. With the cooperation between the commissioners and the County Highway Department, the roads could be repaired in the best affordable manner.

Local farmers and truckers have voiced concerns about narrow and light load limits on bridges. The Board of Commissioners would review the structures with the worst ratings and repair or replace with available funds. Additional funding through state and federal grants will always be investigated.

3. I would work diligently with my fellow commissioners to ensure that we are being fiscally responsible to the citizens of this county. As a former business owner, I was continually looking at ways to save money, while maintaining the quality and excellence that was expected by my customers. I realize there is more to a budget than just numbers.

We need to explore options for suppliers, the quality of products purchased and the labor used for our needs. I believe it is important to utilize local labor and suppliers when at all possible, as this can help stimulate our local economy.

4. It is my understanding that there is a grant called the Highway Safety Improvement Program which can be used on high-accident roads. I would like to see this done in other areas such as Manhattan Road.

There needs to be a feasibility study for a north-south route around Greencastle. Any potential action could be founded on this information at some point in the future.

There are areas where water needs to be diverted from roadways with drainage improvements. Either with grading of drainage ditches or by way of storm sewer structures, this improvement could be accomplished.

Max Watts

Republican

1. I feel I have a lot to give to the people of Putnam County, as a local contractor for more than 35 years. I have a working knowledge of bidding, payroll and budget planning. I'm a retired Lt. Colonel with thirty-four years of logistics experience, with my last 10 years working with facilities and engineering for all 92 counties working primarily with armories and roads. My goal is to represent this county with financial stability, honesty, and the integrity to stand up for what is fair and the right thing to do.

2. Animal control -- I believe that it is in the best safety interest of Putnam County to implement an animal care and control director to enforce the Putnam County animal control ordinance.

Communication -- It is clear to me that Putnam County needs to communicate better with the people of Putnam County, by updating the county website and posting minutes of all commissioner and county council meetings on an active website would keep people more informed on what's going on with our county. Keeping them posted of upcoming meetings.

3. With my leadership experience and my skill sets as a contractor for more the thirty-five years, I would like to do more training within the county highway department, repairs of roads and county bridges can come from my training and experience, cutting costs by eliminating the outsourcing of this work.

4. With developing infrastructure it often requires large initial investments, but the economics of the scale tends to be significant, so by initiating personnel to pursue grants for the county it could help in the areas such as roads, animal control and with our county's computer system updates.