GOP candidates for Monroe County commissioner field questions on economic development

From left: Kristen Weida, Joe Van Deventer, and Paul White, Sr.

At a Wednesday afternoon forum hosted by the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation at the Monroe Convention center, three rounds of county commissioner candidates from both major parties fielded questions from a moderator and the audience.

That included the two Republican candidates for the party’s District 3 county commissioner nomination.

Competing for the GOP nomination for the District 3 county commissioner seat are Joe Van Deventer and Paul White, Sr.

All registered voters in the county can cast a ballot in a District 3 race. The geographic districts for county commissioners are used only to define the area of the county where candidates have to live.

Primary Election Day is May 7, but in-person early voting has been underway for a couple of weeks, at the Monroe County election operations center at 3rd and Walnut streets.
Continue reading “GOP candidates for Monroe County commissioner field questions on economic development” →

County commissioner candidates Peter Iversen, Julie Thomas field questions on new jail, housing

On Saturday afternoon, a total of five candidates in two different Democratic Party primary races for county commissioner fielded questions at a forum hosted by League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County.

The forum took place in the auditorium of the downtown Bloomington location of the Monroe County Public Library.

In one race, incumbent Julie Thomas is competing with Peter Iversen for the party’s nomination. Iversen currently serves on the county council.

In the other race, incumbent Penny Githens is competing for the nomination with Jody Madeira, an Indiana University law professor, and Steve Volan, a former Bloomington city councilmember.

As a group of five, over the course of 90 minutes, they answered a dozen questions that asked for their thoughts on a new jail, housing, and more.

This report focuses on just the race between Thomas and Iversen. The B Square will report on the other race separately.

At a mid-February event hosted by the Building Association of South Central Indiana (BASCI), Iversen and Thomas answered questions from moderator John Fernandez, who is now vice president for innovation and strategic partnerships at The Mill.

The full forum from Saturday (March 23) is available to watch on CATS. Below is a summary of just a few highlights, which are not necessarily organized in the chronological order of the forum.

The event was 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.

Moderating the forum was Maria Douglas who is development director for Middle Way House. Continue reading “County commissioner candidates Peter Iversen, Julie Thomas field questions on new jail, housing” →

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. Continue reading “Four candidates for Monroe County council respond to questions about jail and more” →

Soft jabs from Bloomington mayoral candidates at forum on the arts

On Tuesday night, The Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington held a forum for the Democratic Party’s candidates for Bloomington mayor.

All three mayoral hopefuls somewhat predictably expressed support for the arts.

Seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for mayor of Bloomington are: Don Griffin, Susan Sandberg and Kerry Thomson.

Seated on stage at the Waldron Arts Center in front of a mostly full auditorium, the trio answered questions on a range of topics, including: arts funding; access to the arts for underrepresented and underserved groups; support for emerging artists and cultural entrepreneurs; the future of city-owned arts venues like the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and John Waldron Arts Center; and partnerships with Indiana University.

Candidates exchanged some soft verbal jabs, but no real punches were thrown. Continue reading “Soft jabs from Bloomington mayoral candidates at forum on the arts” →