Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley will not seek fourth term
Marion County's longest serving mayor will not seek a fourth term after his current term expires on Jan 1, 2024, he announced on Wednesday.
Buckley, a Democrat, was elected in 2011 and will officially retire from public service at the end of 2023.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Beech Grove,” Buckley said in a media release. “I am proud that our team has improved every facet of city government in Beech Grove, and that our work has transformed our community in a meaningful way.”
During Buckley's tenure, Beech Grove has had fully funded and balanced budgets each year and now has a healthy surplus, according to the press release.
When he took office in 2012, the city's finances had problems, according to a 2013 State Board of Accounts audit, including overspending in the 2011 budget.
"Mayor Buckley made fiscal responsibility and financial stewardship a hallmark of his administration, lifting the city from near-financial ruin in 2011 to balanced budgets and consistent surpluses," the media release stated.
Buckley also increased police officer base pay and merged its fire suppression services with the Indianapolis Fire Department during his time in office, according to the media release.
His office secured $5 million in grant funding for Beech Grove's first trail system as well as invested more than $10 million in infrastructure.
No one has yet announced candidacy for the 2024 Beech Grove mayoral race.
Prior to serving as mayor, Buckley was a Beech Grove firefighter for 30 years, and retired from the Beech Grove Fire Department as chief in 2009.
Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley: Not seeking fourth term
