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Debate sets stage for Tuesday's city election
With the City of Greencastle general election less than a week away, candidates for mayor, three at-large City Council seats and clerk-treasurer squared off Wednesday night.
The 90-minute program in Watson Forum of the DePauw University Center for Contemporary Media, was presented by the Greencastle League of Women Voters in conjunction with WGRE radio and the Banner Graphic. It began with the two candidates vying to succeed two-term Mayor Sue Murray -- Republican Haywood Ware and Democrat William Dory.
The mayoral candidates clashed over issues such as the possibility of a community center/YMCA, city utilities, tax abatement and more.
The potential for a YMCA or community center became an issue when Dory responded to a question about the first issue he hoped to take on and resolve if elected.
A local YMCA, he said "is the dream of a lot of people" over a lot of years, adding that the process of determining community support for a YMCA is ongoing. While he's been campaigning, Dory noted that the community center/YMCA issue has created the "most interest among the widest number of people."
Ware said he would like to see a YMCA facility locally but "the numbers don't work."
The Republican mayoral candidate, a former mayor of the Texas town of Pfluegerville, added, "If you don't have a pool, it's not going to be self-sustaining."
Dory, meanwhile, noted that a study being undertaken by the national YMCA group "is looking at it with a pool and without a pool" in terms of how many memberships would be needed to sustain a YMCA facility in Greencastle/Putnam County.
A community center is needed, Ware said, suggesting however, that it needs to be somewhere "not at the sports park" to be more accessible to children and people without transportation.
"He's right," Ware said of Democrat opponent Dory, "it's been 30 years (that it's been a topic of conversation) and it only comes up at election time. I'm going to stick my neck out (and say) if I'm not elected, it'll go away before January."
Meanwhile, asked if the candidates were satisfied with public services available, Dory responded by saying it's amazing that as a city of 10,000 Greencastle can provide the services it does. For example, most cities Greencastle's size do not have a fulltime fire department, he noted.
"I think the city has done a great job," Ware said overall, but has "focused too much on the downtown."
He also raised an issue about water rates, claiming that regular customers pay more per gallon than large water users, saying the average user pay $4.49 per 1,000 cubic feet while large users pay $2.26.
Dory tackled that notion, however, explaining the city has a three-tier water rate system and that all water users pay the same for water used through the first two tiers. Large volume users then get a lower rate at the top tier.
On the tax-abatement issue, Dory noted that in Indiana it is really a tax phase-in plan in which taxes on abated property are paid on a sliding scale over 10 years.
As the executive director of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center, Dory has seen tax abatement bring in new companies and keep others in the community as abatements can be granted for expansion projects like the new addition being built at Chiyoda.
"That last one was no good," Ware said, taking issue with the abatement granted to Chiyoda, adding that he believes no abatement should be granted for additions or expansions. "I do support tax abatement for people to come to town," he said.
Dory noted that the Chiyoda abatement is allowing an expansion that will mean another 200 fulltime jobs and $15 million in new investment.
Ware, however, characterized the additions as "$11-an-hour jobs,"calling them "jobs, but not good jobs."
Dory assured that higher-paying jobs are always a goal. "I, as much as anybody else, would like to see higher-paying jobs," he said.
In order to accomplish that, he said, the local workforce "would have to have a higher skills set."
Establishing that can be done, the Development Center director said, by "making full use of Ivy Tech" programs at the Greencastle campus. "It's up to us," he added.
Overall, Ware explained that he had always admired the Greencastle community while he lived elsewhere and decided to move here and opened an antique store on the square when he arrived. Running for mayor, he said, was the result of his notion "that I'd like to give back."
"There won't be any favoritism if I'm mayor," he said in a closing statement. "I guarantee I'll be honest. If you deserve to be arrested, you'll be arrested."
Dory, meanwhile, laid out a five-point plan for the city in his closing remarks.
Calling himself "fortunate to live in one of America's best communities," he added, "although I have known it all along, it has been confirmed to me as I have gone door to door. People are honestly proud of our community and happy to live here."
If elected, Dory vowed to use his 32 years of experience to:
-- Practice fiscal responsibility to maintain the high level of services citizens enjoy.
-- Collaborate with others to pursue such projects as the YMCA.
-- Provide support and assistance to all who want to invest in the community.
-- Encourage new housing development and neighborhood growth and revitalization.
-- Encourage lifelong learning for all citizens through support of local schools.
In the debate between city clerk-treasurer candidates, incumbent Republican Lynda Dunbar and Democrat Eric Wolfe addressed ways the office operates, efficiencies that are vital and offered ideas for future improvements.
Right from the start Dunbar noted that as the city's chief financial officer, the clerk-treasurer does not set policy and candidly she pointed out that "debits and credits do not care about political party."
Wolfe said he was running for city clerk-treasurer because he wants to be "part of a team that continues to more our city forward."
Both candidates spoke to internal controls that are already in place and the need to comply with State Board of Accounts audits and requirements while ever evaluating efficiencies within the office.
"We have had very good audits," Dunbar, who is completing her first four-year term, assured. "Basically we've had no findings (against the city)," and that's despite undergoing federal audits due to millions of dollars of grant money passing through city accounts.
Wolfe said he would strive to get the mayor and City Council the "best information to make their decisions," while working with the utility office at City Hall to assure "good customer service in a good, friendly, positive place where people can get good information in a timely manner."
One thing the incumbent Dunbar said she would like to see in 2016 is an online program in which city utility customers can go on the Internet and pay their bills.
"But with 3,000 customers, costs (of that online effort) may not offset it," she suggested.
Wolfe, meanwhile, said as an owner of multiple city properties he would like to see utility billing take advantage of automatic bank drafts.
"I see that as something we can do," he said, noting it would have the additional benefit of "helping to reduce the carbon footprint" of the city.
In closing, Dunbar, who holds an accounting degree, stressed that "not a cent of your tax dollars has been spent on outside accountants to do my job."
"Folks," she concluded, "this job needs to be done by the most technically qualified and trained person."
Wolfe, who stressed the necessity of transparency and professionalism in the position, said an accounting degree is not a requirement of the office.
Much help is available through the State Board of Accounts, he said, adding "I can learn anything necessary to do the work, just as others before me have done."
Also debating city issues Wednesday night were the five candidates for the three City Council at-large positions -- Mark Hammer (R), Clyde Wallace "Wally" Hinkle (R), Gary Lemon (D), Harry Maginity (R) and David Murray (D). Their comments will be included in a separate article in a subsequent edition.