Four candidates for Monroe County council respond to questions about jail and more

On Saturday afternoon, four Democratic Party candidates for the three at-large seats on the Monroe County council fielded questions at a forum that took place in the auditorium of the downtown Bloomington location of the Monroe County Public Library.

Over the course of 90 minutes, they answered more than a dozen questions that asked for their thoughts on balancing mental health services against building a new jail, financing a new jail, housing, and reducing the cost of child care, among other topics.

In the council at-large race, eligible voters in Monroe County choose up to three candidates. No Republican candidates declared a candidacy in the primary.

Vying for one of the three seats are incumbents Trent Deckard and Cheryl Munson. Hoping for their first turn of service on the seven-member county council are Matt Caldie and David Henry. Incumbent Geoff McKim is not seeking re-election.

The full forum is available on CATS. Below is a summary of just a few highlights, which are not organized in the chronological order of the forum.

The event was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, and cosponsored by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, Monroe County NAACP, Monroe County NOW, IU PACE, IU BIG Voting Challenge, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kappa Tau Omega Chapter.

Laura Rusk, a third-year law student at Indiana University, moderated the forum.

What do you think is a better use of taxpayer funds, and why: (1) mental health care and addiction treatment; or (2) building a new jail?

For B Square background on the question of the need for a new county jail, see: Monroe County sheriff, commissioners square off at committee meeting, ACLU lawyer says: “Look, you need a new jail. Everyone knows that.”

First to answer the question was Deckard, who said, “We have to literally do both. We do not have an option to take either of those issues and say: “I don’t think that’s it.”

Deckard said, “There’s never one single plan on how these things go. There’s just folks around the table trying to figure out a problem and make things happen to fit that.” Deckard continued, “People coming in with just one plan, not compromising, is how we’ve ended up in some of the messes that we have.”

Deckard said the county has to look after the behavioral and mental health needs of residents as best it can. “Unfortunately, we have not been given a lot to work with from state resources,” Deckard said.

About a jail, Deckard said, “We need a jail that treats people with dignity and recognizes them for the life that they have, and the promise that will come.” About the choice between building a new jail providing mental health services, Deckard returned to his first point: “We have to do both of those things. And what’s more, we have to do them exceedingly well.”

Caldie was willing to pick one of the options, but with a caveat, echoing Deckard’s concerns, “I can’t help but agree that we have to prioritize both issues—we can never lose sight of upstream solutions to help people from coming into contact with the justice system in the first place,” Caldie said.

Caldie continued, “However, if forced to choose one of the two, I think we need a new jail.” As the reason, Caldie gave the fact that the current justice center at 7th Street and College Avenue is a “sick building.” The poor conditions of the building have an impact on prisoners and employees alike, he said. Prisoners need a constitutional level of care, and employees should not have to worry about their health when they report to work, Caldie said.

Caldie said that addressing issues like mental health and substance use challenges is important—anything that can help keep people out of correctional facilities. But if forced to choose, he landed on the side of new jail construction: “I think it’s important that we build a new jail as soon as we can, because the current one no longer serves the community.”

Like Deckard, Munson split the difference: “We have to do both.” The county has a statutory responsibility to provide a jail, and that has to meet a constitutional standard of care, Munson said. It’s also important to understand that mental health and substance problems cause a higher jail population than there would be otherwise, so those issues should be treated before people enter the legal system, Munson said. “Don’t despair that we can’t do both,” Munson said. Even if both issues cannot be addressed as well as everyone would like, the county council is accustomed to “juggling” issues, Munson said. She added, “We don’t do it perfectly, but we do it well.”

Henry concurred that it is a “both-and” issue: “We have to address mental health challenges in the community, as well as a failing jail.” On the question of building a new jail, Henry paraphrased Maya Angelou: “We can’t really know where we are going on the jail until we know where we have been.”

Henry said, “We, as community, have to have a memory about why we have the jail that we have to begin with.” Henry noted that the current jail was built as the result of a 1981 lawsuit that was filed on behalf of inmates at the previous facility, located at 4th and Walnut streets.

Henry encouraged the audience to look at the old newspaper archives available at the library, where the forum was held.

The archives are also available online.  According to Herald-Telephone coverage at the time, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of inmates alleging due process violations, and infractions of constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment due to overcrowding.

The new justice center, which stands at 7th Street and College Avenue, opened  in early 1986.

Twenty-two years after the current jail opened, in 2008, the ACLU filed another lawsuit stemming from conditions at the jail, and the jail is now operating under a settlement agreement, reached in 2009,  which has been extended several times.

At Saturday’s forum, Henry described the current facility like this: “Since its inception, it had 124 beds that were filled immediately, and was built in a way that we haven’t been able to expand it.”

About the situation with the jail, Henry said, “We’ve had this conversation twice, really, in my lifetime.” When the jail opened in 1986, Henry said, there was a mental health system that existed in the United States. That mental health system has since fallen apart, so the burden has been placed on the jail to be the “de facto mental health system in our community,” Henry said.

Henry described the situation as challenged by “obsolete technology in our jail and obsolete thinking about how we approach these issues.” Henry drew on Democratic Party values, when he said, “But as a party that supports restorative justice, we need to make sure that the incarceration of individuals is the last step along a long path of diversion and mental health treatment and care.”

How might the corrections category of local income tax factor into funding a new jail?

Here’s some background, before presenting answers from candidates. Because it is the fiscal body of the county, the county council will have de facto control over the size and location of a new jail. That’s even though the county commissioners have the statutory authority to decide those questions.

In 2022, when Bloomington’s city council enacted a 0.69-percent economic development local income tax (ED LIT)  , the tax applied to all Monroe County residents. That’s possible because the city council has a majority of votes on the tax council for the county.

The county government’s share of the ED LIT in 2024 is $11,249,634.  That’s just a portion of the distribution to four governmental units in Monroe County, which totalled $29,273,939. Besides Monroe County government, the city of Bloomington, the town of Ellettsville, and the town of Stinesville also receive ED LIT revenue.

Monroe County government’s share is based on the number that is left over from subtracting the populations of Bloomington, Ellettsville, and Stinesville from Monroe County’s total population.

So far, the county council has treated the ED LIT revenue as a kind of “jail fund” out of which the cost of building a new jail could be paid.

Because it was the city council that enacted the ED LIT, the county council received a kind of political benefit—by not needing to enact a category of local income tax for “corrections,” which the county council is able to do, acting alone, independent of the city council. The limit on the rate for the corrections LIT is 0.2 percent.

Based on the $29,273,939 generated by the ED LIT, at a rate of 0.69 percent, a 0.2-percent corrections LIT would generate about $8.5 million a year. All of that corrections LIT revenue would be distributed to Monroe County government—none to the other governmental units.

Based on the idea that the best kind of new facility to construct would be one that includes co-located courts, with prosecutor, public defender and other supporting services, the cost of the new facility that is planned looks like it could exceed the amount that the ED LIT is generating for county government. Because no new jail location has been decided, which means no design or size has been determined, it’s hard to estimate whether existing revenue is adequate to cover costs.

Factoring into the mix is pending annexation by the city of Bloomington, which is subject to litigation. But if all of the territory currently pending annexation is incorporated into the city of Bloomington, then based on 2024 figures and the 2020 census, that would decrease Monroe County government’s share of the ED LIT by about $3 million. That’s an impact that would come on top of the  $2.7 million loss in other revenue to the county that was analyzed by a county financial consultant in 2021.

In response to the question about enacting a corrections local income tax, none of the candidates were eager to campaign on a platform of raising taxes.

It was Munson who led things off. Munson noted that successful annexation would mean less local income tax would be available to the county government. The uncertainty about the outcome of the annexation litigation makes it difficult to plan, Munson said. There are other resources for financing a jail, Munson said.

As an example of other sources, Munson gave bonding, noting that the county almost every year issues general obligation bonds for major undertakings. As local income tax resources, there’s not just a correctional tax, Munson pointed out, there’s also the ED LIT. Munson also cited the public safety local income tax as a revenue source that has been helpful for supporting the jail.

Henry, who followed Munson, noted that there’s the cap on the total amount of local income tax that can be imposed: “We have to work that out with our city partners.”

The background to Henry’s comment is that the overall cap on LIT that can be imposed on Monroe County residents is 2.5 percent. If the city of Bloomingotn were to increase the ED LIT so that the total LIT imposed were at the 2.5 percent cap, that would leave no room for the county council to impose a corrections LIT.

As a bright spot, Henry pointed to Monroe County’s credit rating, which was upgraded from AA- to AA the the beginning of March.

The good credit score means that there are investors who want to do business in Monroe County by investing in bonds, because they know Monroe County is “good for the money,” Henry said. It’s the county commissioners who decide where and how the new jail is going to be built, Henry said.

Alluding to the Thomson PUD land, which was at one point a leading contender for a jail site, Henry said, it might be necessary to “sell off some property that we’re not using” to help pay for the new jail.

Henry pointed to the fact that in 1986, when the current jail was built, it was a “holding organization” that held the bonds to “get the job done.” Henry drew an analogy to the capital improvement board that is currently overseeing the convention center expansion. Alluding to the urgency of the issue, Henry said, “I know we need to get shovels in the ground. I know we need a solution.”

If there are not bonds in place by January, Henry said, he would be interested in seeing a holding organization put in place to “get the job done on the jail.”

Deckard invited the public to watch the county council’s meetings and observe how they, as a group, solve problems. He said that there is a lot of talk in the campaign about “affordability.”

Deckard said, “We have to be exceedingly cautious about not… drawing excessive amounts of dollars from residents who are already feeling the pinch of larger economic factors.”

Deckard continued, “It is hard to afford to live here, compared to how it used to be.” He added, “We’ve got to always be thinking about being very—I don’t like the word ‘thrifty’—but very detailed and exceedingly tender to the needs of all residents about new revenues introduced.”

About the idea of raising taxes, Deckard said, “That’s not something that I think anyone should ever do lightly.”

Caldie led off his answer by acknowledging the high cost of a new jail. He put it like this: “I think it’s evident that a new jail is going to be expensive.” He added, “But there are still a lot of factors that determine just how expensive it will be.”

Caldie described how he believes that building just a single-story jail downtown, which is the recommended design, would not be as expensive as other approaches: “It does not have to be a tremendously expensive project in comparison to, say, an enormous complex.” He continued by pointing out that there’s a big difference between trying to fund a $70-million facility and a $150-million facility.

The kind of jail that gets built will determine what mechanisms can be used to pay for it, Caldie said. Caldie said he agreed that the county council has to be “very careful.” He said, “We don’t want to overtax the community.”

Caldie called for public conversations about the number of beds, and about the actual footprint that is required to build a new jail facility. If the result of that discussion is the kind of reasonable project that it should be, then Caldie said it’s possible that no new tax would be required. Calide also pointed to the ED LIT as an option to pay for a new jail. Caldie concluded by saying, “We need to find a way to fund it. And we need a lot more information first.”

What distinguishes you from the other candidates?

Asked what distinguished them from the other candidates, David Henry quipped: “I am the only candidate with two first names on the ballot, and that’s all I’m gonna say.” Earlier in the event, he had said, “If elected, I’d be the only person in elected leadership who has actually worked as a county employee—at the public health department, where I started after graduating IU with my master’s in local government in 2005.”

Following Henry, responding to the same question, was Deckard, who talked about the slogan that he includes on his yard signs: “Our Friend Trent Deckard.” Deckard said, “There’s people who have told me: Don’t put that on your yard sign. Put issues. Be edgier.” About that advice, Deckard said, “That’s not me. I do get edgy—as you’ve seen earlier today…” About the “Our Friend” phrase, Deckard said, “People know me as that.” When he talked about his qualifications to serve on the county council, Deckard pointed to the “Our Friend” slogan as signaling his willingness to listen.

As the thing that distinguished him, Caldie gave his economic struggles after graduating from IU. “My background of really struggling to get my foot in here, to be paid $7.50 an hour while trying to pay rent, or trying to pay back loans, while living with four roommates—I’ve known hardship that most politicians don’t,” Caldie said. He added that he wants to represent the voices of people who are still experiencing hardship.

Munson gave her depth of experience in county government and her knowledge of the people of Monroe County as the thing that sets her apart. She continued, “That’s important, because I count on people to tell me what issues are of great concern to them.” She added that her contact information is public: “If people do call me, I’m very glad about that.” Earlier during the forum she described herself as the “most-elected” person of the group, citing her 16 years of service on the Indian Creek township board.

What are your qualifications for serving on the county council?

When the constraints of the question were not limited to their distinguishing features, candidates gave more detail.

Henry was first to answer the question, and established that all four candidates have the necessary qualifications to serve on the county council because they are citizens, residents of the county, and have stood up to run for the office.

Still, Henry ticked off several resume points from the past two decades, including advising the mayor of Washington D.C. on human resources policy, advising the National Governors Association on emergency management policy, and public safety consulting. Henry said he’s created and teaches courses at the Indiana University School of Environmental Affairs emergency management.

As an example of his civic engagement, Henry gave his membership in the Rotary Club, and his service on the Monroe County election board.

Deckard drew on his experience serving as district director for U.S. Representative Baron Hill from 2007 to 2011—a time when health care was being reformed. “I saw the difficulties of that legislation and the difficulties of doing the hard things,” Deckard said. He noted that he served as co-director of the Indiana Election Division, which he described as “a bipartisan agency, where a Democrat and Republican had to negotiate on everything to get anything done.”

About the job of county councilmember, Deckard said, “This job is one of those things where you don’t exactly plan everything—some things come to you, and you must react.” About the idea of reacting to unforeseen circumstances, like the COVID-19 pandemic, Deckard said he is a “constant worker to that end—to get those things done with my colleagues.”

When his turn came, Caldie picked up on Henry’s idea of the basic qualification, saying, “Budget experience or even government experience really isn’t required to be qualified for a job such as this one.” He added, “It just requires that you care deeply about the community that you live in and that you want to support everyone that you can.”

Caldie described himself as a “civically engaged individual” who watches city council meetings and county council meetings and keeps informed about issues. He also cited his eight years of experience serving on the Bloomington environmental commission.

Munson said that her service on the Indian Creek township board had prepared her for the county council. She also volunteers with organizations like the PTO, 4-H, Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood. Her volunteer work puts her in touch with the community, Muson said.

In support of her qualifications, Munson also cited her service on the county’s historic preservation board. Through her service she has learned how to listen to perspectives that are “not just standard ideas that people talk about,” Munson said. Learning what people are concerned about is the most important part of her experience, Munson said.

Candidate Links

Matt Caldie Vote411 profile
Matt Caldie campaign website

Trent Deckard Vote411 profile
Trent Deckard campaign website

David Henry Vote411 profile
David Henry campaign website

Cheryl Munson Vote411 profile
Cheryl Munson campaign website

Jail sites given consideration so far