City candidates respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire

Monday, November 7, 2011

THIRD WARD COUNCIL

Jinsie S. Bingham

104 Bloomington St.

Greencastle, IN 46135

Democrat party

1. What motivated you to seek this position and what set you apart from the other candidate?

Answer:

I have held this office for the past 4 years. Serving in the administration of Mayor Murray offers the community level headed leadership. We speak Greencastle at City Hall.

With 25 years experience on the Board of Zoning Appeals, most of those years as president, I have a good understanding of how city government works.

Serving in leadership positions in most of the community civic organizations has given me the foundation to bring people to consensus. Greencastle is full of enthusiastic volunteers who make every effort to maintain our status as one of the most livable communities in the state.

2. What specific ideas do you have to ensure that during tough economic times the city of Greencastle can adequately provide services to it citizens?

Answer:

My best idea is to support the procedures already in place. The various department heads of the City of Greencastle somehow manage to do more using less. Departments work with each other to share equipment and expertise. Careful management and maintenance are top priorities.

Many city workers are cross trained and board certified in their various work capacities. Workers are experienced and comfortable in their positions. There is a high level of respect for those skilled individuals who keep the city running smoothly.

City officials have been successful in receiving grants to secure professional training.

3. The Third Ward encompasses part of the DePauw campus. How as the Third Ward representative would you balance the needs of the DePauw and Greencastle?

Answer:

Implementing ideas offered in the Stellar Community Grant is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for campus/community cooperation. That grant comes with huge sums of money to complete the projects.

We received the Stellar grants because we have demonstrated our ability to plan and work together. Together we have dreamed of projects to benefit both entities looking for solutions to communal problems.

Next year DePauw will celebrate 175 years in Greencastle. Corporations have come and gone but the campus remains our companion.

We are good friends traveling a long road together.

Jade Griffin

706 E. Walnut ST.

Greencastle, In 46135

Republican Party

1. What motivated you to seek this position and what set you apart from the other candidate?

Answer:

I am very excided at the prospect of serving my fellow citizens as your representative, and I am very proud of my community and look forward to being able to help Greencastle grow and prosper. I believe that I can make a difference on the Greencastle City Council in several areas: fiscal responsibility, job creation and economic growth, and public safety and infrastructure.

2. What specific ideas do you have to ensure that during tough economic times the city of Greencastle can adequately provide services to it citizens?

Answer:

Fiscal responsibility: as a homeowner I must live within a budget, we as a community need to live within our means and not over spend, we must distinguish between our wants and needs and getting rid of waste and over spending.

Job creation and economic growth: Greencastle needs to do more to attract new business to the city. We need to do a better job in promoting ourselves and bring in more jobs and we need to encourage consumer spending in our own city, to keep local business already here and to help them grow and prosper.

3. The Third Ward encompasses part of the DePauw campus. How as the Third Ward representative would you balance the needs of the DePauw and Greencastle?

Answer:

Public Safety and Infrastructure: I want to ensure that Greencastle has the means to protect its citizens, currently we have a first class Police Force and Fire Department, we need to ensure that we continue to support them, within the means at hand so they can continue to serve us. Money is always tight, but we must ensure that we maintain our roads, waterlines and sewers, so we can keep our current infrastructure functioning for many years to come.

I am looking forward to serving my fellow citizens as your representative, on the Greencastle City Council.

CITY CLERK-TREASURER

Lynda R. Dunbar

713 E. Walnut St.

Republican

1. One of the duties of the city clerk-treasurer is to assist in compiling a proposed budget for the city. What do you see as the fiscal priorities for the next 4 years? (100 words)

Reduce reliance on outside accounting services to make cash available for services that benefit Greencastle residents.

Maintain accurate recordkeeping of spending against the Stellar Grant payments to ensure that receipts are not delayed or moneys forfeited due to improper reporting or lack of matching funds.

Ensure accurate and prompt payment of valid and approved claims to prevent interruption of services.

Ensure that all financial data, including the effect of anticipated adjustments is available to allow proper decision-making.

Identify opportunities for cost reduction without affecting the quality and availability of services.

2. What role do you think the clerk-treasurer plays in the decision-making process in the city? (100 words)

The city clerk-treasurer provides timely and accurate financial information and fiscal guidance to allow the Council and department heads to make better decisions and keep spending within budget. The city clerk-treasurer must identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of services, reduce cost and eliminate waste while maintaining the quality of services provided.

By providing prompt and accurate payments to vendors and city employees and quality services to Greencastle Residents, the city cerk-treasurer allows the department heads to focus on providing quality services without the background noise of dissatisfied vendors, employees and residents.

Teresa P. Glenn

318 Highfall Ave.

Democrat

1.One of the duties of the city clerk-treasurer is to assist in compiling a proposed budget for the city. What do you see as the fiscal priorities for the next 4 years? (100 words)

The fiscal priorities for the next 4 years will be: To provide accurate, up-to-date financial information to the Mayor and Council to ensure a balanced budget; invest taxpayers dollars in ways that will provide the greatest financial return; and to continue assessing opportunities to save money in order to keep taxes low while providing essential services to citizens.

Open communication between elected officials and the public is vital for good government. As the city moves forward with the Stellar Community Grant, it will be my duty as clerk-treasurer to support our Mayor and her team any way possible.

2. What role do you think the clerk-treasurer plays in the decision-making process in the city? (100 words)

The role of Clerk-Treasurer in decision-making processes is critical due to the financial planning that is necessary to make practical decisions. It is my job to provide accurate and timely information on funds and records of the city. My office continues to look for ways to save money for taxpayers allowing the council and Mayor to have necessary funds without raising taxes.

Over the past 8 years, my office has streamlined many procedures reducing unnecessary expenditures. I will continue to work full-time, providing committed service to the citizens of Greencastle, ensuring a system of checks and balances.