Adam Dickey to fill vacant New Albany City Council seat
May 13—NEW ALBANY — Adam Dickey, an involved Democrat in New Albany and Floyd County, will fill the vacancy on the New Albany City Council.
The Democratic Party held a caucus Thursday to fill the District 2 seat on the council after the death of former council member Robert Caesar in April.
While there were other individuals who had expressed interest in filling the seat, Dickey said that he was the only person to actually file for the caucus.
"Bob was a close friend of mine, and we have worked for a number of years on the redevelopment commission and in other circles. Thinking about his legacy and thinking about what laid ahead, I just felt really a call to service," Dickey said.
Dickey is the chair of the Floyd County Democratic Party and also sits on the New Albany Redevelopment Commission.
Dickey said that there are a lot of good things going for the city, and he wants to help the community thrive.
"I want to see how we can improve and expand upon our quality of life, our business atmosphere and just make this a great place to live and call home," he said.
After taking office, Dickey said he will be connecting with constituents of District 2 to let them know he is committed to working hard for them and listening to their concerns.
"One of my first priorities is to try and reach out and sit down with as many of them as possible and take an assessment of where are the priorities from their standpoint," he said.
Dickey compared a city to a garden in that it needs continual care in order for future generations to have a good harvest. He said he hopes his skills can be added to the team of gardeners along with Mayor Jeff Gahan, other council members and City Clerk Vicki Glotzbach.
Having served on the redevelopment commission for over a decade, Dickey said he is familiar with a number of projects happening in the city and wants to continue to see those come into fruition.
Dickey also served as a congressional aide to former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill from 2007 to 2011 and is the board chair of River Hills.
Working in economic development with the River Hills board puts him in a great position to know where and how the city can make projects happen, Dickey said.
The redevelopment commission typically has two city council representatives, who now are Jason Applegate and Jennie Collier. The status of Dickey's seat on the commission will be determined at the next city council meeting May 19.
Council member Greg Phipps said that he is excited for Dickey to join the council and bring energy and knowledge with him.
"He brings with him quite a bit of experience. He's been the party leader for several years," Phipps said, "I know he was a political science major in college so I think he's going to bring a lot of good knowledge and political experience and energy to the council."
Applegate said he is also excited about the opportunity to see Dickey showcase his love for New Albany and his potential to be a strong council member.
From Dickey being involved in the community and the political scene to living in New Albany all his life, Applegate said the new council member has a lot of knowledge about the city.
While council members and Dickey are excited for the future of the council, they have not forgotten the legacy of Caesar.
"There's no way you can replace the history and knowledge that councilman Caesar had in any way, shape or form, but we have someone, with Mr. Dickey, that's not new to the city," Applegate said.
Vice chair for the Floyd County Democratic Party, Erica Lawrence, said that it is an unfortunate circumstance with the passing of Caesar but Dickey filling his seat is a testament of the legacy Caesar left behind.
"When we are leaders, and councilman Caesar was a leader...it's not about being the only one, it's also about living the life where people can imitate some of the things that you've done," she said.
"And that's part of that legacy, that I'm going to do things in honor of and out of the spirit of that person who served in that role."
