Tag: GOP

GOP candidates for Monroe County commissioner field questions on economic development

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.
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Dems caucus taps Gregory as Monroe County auditor, previous day’s payroll delay gets a mention

Brianne (Bri) Gregory addresses the Democratic Party caucus that selected her as auditor. (Feb. 10, 2024)
A view though the auditor’s office front door at the Monroe County courthouse. (Feb. 10, 2024)
Monroe County Democratic Party chair David Henry. (Feb. 10, 2024)
Perry 20 precinct chair Shelli Yoder. (Feb. 10, 2024)
Monroe County treasurer Cathy Smith. (Feb. 10, 2024)
Monroe County Democratic Party vacancy caucus. (Feb. 10, 2024)
Bloomington 20 precinct chair Charlotte Zietlow raises her hand to ask a question. Zietlow is a former Bloomington city councilmember and a former county commissioner. (Feb. 10, 2024)

At a Democratic Party caucus held on Saturday in the Nat U. Hill Room of the historic county courthouse, Brianne (Bri) Gregory was selected to serve as Monroe County’s auditor through the end of this year.

The selection of Gregory to fill the auditor’s vacancy was not a surprise. She was the only person to file the paperwork to stand as a candidate in the caucus. Gregory currently serves as the county’s financial director, which is a position that works out of the auditor’s office.

Monroe County Democratic Party chair David Henry presided over Saturday’s event, which started at 1 p.m. The vote was taken by acclamation of the precinct chairs who had gathered to make the selection, after they suspended various rules in light of the fact that Gregory was the only candidate.

It is only precinct chairs who are eligible to vote in a vacancy caucus.

Henry summed up the proceedings after hearing a roomful of ayes in favor, and after hearing no one respond to a call for those who were opposed: “Hearing none, we have a new auditor.” Continue reading “Dems caucus taps Gregory as Monroe County auditor, previous day’s payroll delay gets a mention” →

Monroe County GOP chair names appointment to public bus board, 90 days after term expiration with no action by Bloomington city council

In a press release issued Thursday, Monroe County Republican Party chair William Ellis announced he has named Doug Horn to the five-member board of Bloomington Transit (BT), the local public transportation corporation.

A Bloomington Transit bus waits at the downtown transit center on Nov. 17, 2020. (Dave Askins/Square Beacon)

Horn is a Bloomington businessman and former Monroe County plan commissioner.

It’s not the usual way appointments are made to the BT board, and might be disputed by Bloomington’s city council.

Under state statute, the seat to which Ellis has named Horn is supposed to be appointed by the Bloomington city council.

Continue reading “Monroe County GOP chair names appointment to public bus board, 90 days after term expiration with no action by Bloomington city council” →