![]() Feb. 7 was the deadline to file as a candidate for the May 5 primary election, and several seats representing parts of Monroe County will have competitive races. UPDATE: The primary election has been moved to June 2, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See below for a roundup. Click here for a printable one-page list. Click here for the full list of all candidates statewide. The deadline to register to vote is Monday, April 6. Early voting begins on April 7. Click here for a voter registration form. Check out the Monroe County Election Central website for more information. CONGRESS 9th DISTRICTIncumbent Trey Hollingsworth is unopposed in the Republican primary. Five candidates are competing in the Democratic primary: D. Liam Dorris, Brandon Hood, James O'Gabhann III, Mark Powell, and Andy Ruff. STATE SENATEIn District 40, Democrat Mark Stoops is not seeking re-election to this seat. Three candidates have filed to run in the Democratic Party primary: Trent Feuerbach, Shelli Yoder and John Zody. No Republican candidates are running. In District 44, Republican incumbent Eric Koch is running unopposed in the primary. No Democrats have filed for this seat. STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESIncumbent Democrat Matt Pierce is unopposed in the Democratic primary for District 61, and no Republicans are running. In District 62, Republican incumbent Jeff Ellington faces Greg Knott in the primary. In November, the winner will face Democrat Alyssa Bailey, who is unopposed in the primary. Republican incumbent Bob Heaton (District 46) is unopposed in the primary and no Democrats are running for that seat. Republican incumbent Chris May (District 65) is unchallenged on May 5 but in November faces Democrat Paula Staley, who is unopposed in the primary. Incumbent Peggy Mayfield (District 60) will run against Dave Rinehart in the Republican primary. Tiffany Grant is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for that seat. MONROE COUNTY COUNCIL AT-LARGEFive candidates will vie for three at-large seats on the Monroe County Council in the Democratic Party primary: Incumbents Trent Deckard, Geoff McKim and Cheryl Munson, as well as Karl Boehm and Dominic Thompson. There are two candidates in the Republican Party primary for those at-large seats: James Allen and Zachary Weisheit. MONROE COUNTY COMMISSIONERIncumbent Monroe County Commissioners Julie Thomas (District 2) and Penny Githens (District 3) are running unopposed this year in the Democratic primary. No Republicans are running for these seats. Randy Paul has filed as a Green Party candidate in District 2. OTHER MONROE COUNTY POSITIONSIncumbents for four countywide offices, all Democrats, are running unopposed: Cathy Smith, auditor; Jessica McClellan, treasurer; Joani Shields, coroner; Trohn Enright-Randolph, surveyor. No Republicans have filed to run for these seats. JUDICIALElizabeth Cure isn't seeking re-election for Monroe County Circuit Court Judge, Division 1. Two Democrats – Geoff Bradley and Alphonso Manns – are competing in the Democratic primary. Carl Lamb is also running for that seat, but is unopposed in the Republican primary.
For Division 8, incumbent Republican Judith Benchkart is unopposed, but will face the winner of the Democratic primary – Jeff Kehr or Kara Elaine Krothe – in November. Incumbent Democrat Valeri Haughton is running unopposed for Division 2, and no Republicans have filed.
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![]() Monroe County Election Central is recruiting 350-360 poll workers for the May 5 primary election. Karen Wheeler, election supervisor, gave that report at the Feb. 6 Election Board meeting. These are paid positions for Election Day. To be a poll worker in Monroe County, you must meet these requirements:
For more information about the various jobs available – including the student poll worker program – check out Monroe County Election Central or contact their office at 812-349-2612. ![]() As part of our advocacy efforts on behalf of members and the community, the Chamber develops annual guidelines for local public policy and state/federal legislation. Our 2020 Local Public Policy Agenda provides specific priorities for a positive business climate (regulation, infrastructure and civic engagement) and quality of life (including housing, public safety, parking, parks and the convention center expansion). Our 2020 State & Federal Legislative Agenda includes priorities for economic development and job creation, quality of place, environmental infrastructure, civic engagement and government accountability, education and workforce development, health care, and business taxation/regulation. These guiding documents are developed through a member-driven process with our Chamber Advocacy Council and Chamber Legislative Council, and are approved by the Chamber's board of directors. Questions? Contact Mary Morgan, the Chamber's Director of Advocacy & Public Policy, at [email protected]. ![]() Two board members for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce – Lisa Abbott and Cindy Kinnarney – have been appointed to the Monroe County Redevelopment Commission and the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission, respectively. Lisa Abbott is executive vice president of the Bloomington Board of Realtors. Cindy Kinnarney is market president for First Financial Bank and serves as first vice chair on the Chamber board. The Monroe County Redevelopment Commission, on which Lisa Abbott serves, is a five-member board that oversees projects in the county's tax-increment finance (TIF) districts. Three members of this commission are appointed by the County Commissioners and two members are appointed by the County Council. Jim Shelton, the Chamber's government relations manager, is also a member of the county RDC. Cindy Kinnarney is the newest member of the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission, which oversees the city's Department of Housing & Neighborhood Development (HAND), including the city's TIF districts. Three members of this 5-member board are appointed by the mayor. The other two are appointed by the Bloomington Council. The Chamber encourages our members to serve on advisory boards and commissions for local government. Click here for more information on how to find vacancies and apply. ![]() Monroe County is in the process of selecting a consultant to overhaul the county's zoning code. At their Dec. 18 work session, Monroe County Commissioners heard from Larry Wilson, the county's planning director. He said that staff and the county Plan Commission recommended hiring Clarion Associates for the new County Development Ordinance (CDO). Clarion recently did the City of Bloomington's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The firm also has done work for Indianapolis/Marion County, Fort Wayne/Allen County, and hundreds of other communities nationwide. Wilson said that $105,000 remained from the previous CDO appropriation. The county previously hired Calfee Zoning, but that firm was unable to complete the project and reached a settlement with the county to end their contract. Commissioner Julie Thomas, who also serves on the county Plan Commission, said she preferred the other finalist, Clearzoning, because she thought their writing was clearer. "But I'm happy to go with the majority of my colleagues," she added. Wilson reported that Clearzoning, which is based in Michigan, had no experience with projects in Indiana, and would need to learn Indiana statutory requirements. The three-member Monroe County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on the contract at their Jan. 8 meeting. The seven-member County Council would then be asked to appropriate funds for the work at their Jan. 14 meeting. Wilson told commissioners that he hoped the bulk of the CDO could be completed in 2020. Click here to watch the Dec. 18 working session on CATS. ![]() The May 5, 2020 primary election is months away, but Monroe County Elections is already recruiting poll workers. These are paid positions for Election Day. To be a poll worker in Monroe County, you must meet these requirements:
For more information about the various jobs available – including the student poll worker program – check out Monroe County Election Central or contact their office at 812-349-2612. ![]() The fate of the Monroe County Convention Center expansion will likely be decided within the next 48 hours. We need your help in ensuring our elected officials work together to agree on a governance structure so that this important project can move forward. The Monroe County Council is poised to consider possibly repealing the Food & Beverage Tax, which funds the expansion, if no concrete progress is made by Friday afternoon. The Chamber supports the creation of a Capital Improvement Board (CIB) as the governance structure for an expanded convention center. We support equal representation between the City of Bloomington and Monroe County, which has been agreed upon by both sides. The county commissioners have begun the process of creating a CIB and could make that final decision at their Dec. 11 meeting. We are concerned that the palpable bitterness and distrust between the county commissioners and city administration could ultimately derail this project. Please contact our Bloomington/Monroe County elected representatives to urge all parties to move forward with this project. Click here for contact information. See below for additional background, as well as information about upcoming public meetings where you can speak in person. Questions? Contact Mary Morgan, the Chamber's Director of Advocacy & Public Policy, at [email protected] or 812-336-6381. Timeline of Upcoming MeetingsHere's a timeline of upcoming meetings and possible actions. For additional background on recent actions, read this article from the B Square Beacon.
![]() The Tobacco-Free Coalition of Monroe County is looking for 5 youth between the ages of 13-18 years old who would like to participate in VOICE, a youth advocacy campaign. VOICE is Indiana's statewide youth empowerment program, an initiative to engage, educate, and empower teens to celebrate a tobacco-free lifestyle. Do you know a teen who might be interested? Contact the coalition's Youth Coordinator, Patricia Colon, at [email protected] for more information. The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Tobacco-Free Coalition. Click here to learn more about our community's tobacco cessation efforts. ![]() Thanks to Chamber Ambassadors and staff for helping out Monroe County Election Central on Election Day! At the request of Election Director Karen Wheeler, we placed signs to alert voters in districts where elections weren't held this year, to help avoid confusion. Results of the Nov. 5 local election for Bloomington City Council: In District 2, Democrat Sue Sgambelluri defeated Republican Andrew Guenther. In District 3, Democrat Ron Smith prevailed over Independents Nick Kappas and Marty Spechler. No other local races were contested. Thanks to Ambassadors Kelsey Haislip (right, at Summit Elementary) and Michele Tierney, as well as Chamber staffers Jim Shelton, Stacy Bruce, Tammy Walker and Rachel Levy for helping out. Look for more nonpartisan election support in 2020! ![]() An 11-county study of workforce housing needs has been released this week, assessing the regional housing market and proposing strategies for addressing challenges. The 339-page Indiana Uplands Regional Housing Study includes the Bloomington/Monroe County community. Reports for individual counties also can be downloaded on the housing study's website. Six main strategies are identified by the report (pp 318-337):
ROI is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, and is funded through a $25.87 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. |
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