City Council candidates eye infrastructure improvements

Apr. 28—As Tuesday's Democratic Party primary election looms, infrastructure is at the fore of the minds of Terre Haute City Council candidates.

Candidates spoke with the Tribune-Star on the issues they will prioritize come January 2024.

Challengers to incumbents discussed why they elected to throw their hats in the ring. Those seeking to replace outgoing council members contemplated their predecessors' legacies.

In District 3, Cheryl Loudermilk is running unopposed, as are at-large council members George Azar, Tammy Bowland and Curtis A. DeBaun IV.

District 1

Incumbent Amy Auler is challenged by Kandace G. Hinton.

Auler, a lifelong resident of Terre Haute who has lived in the 1st District for some 30 years, noted that how American Rescue Plan Act funding could still be an issue after November if a new mayor is elected, though the council is expected to vote on Mayor Duke Bennett's proposal before then.

"The next couple of years will be crucial," she said. "We need to use that [ARPA] money wisely to invest in the community."

She also predicted, "We're going to start seeing more business and infrastructure on [Indiana] 46."

Auler is interested in improving the Deming Park pool, adding, "We need a separate water park for the kids, one that is centrally located that they can ride there bikes to. Some people can drive to one in Plainfield, but some don't get that chance. It's time for us to do our own."

Hinton, an Indiana State University professor who grew up in Evansville and worked there as a city planner, said, "I've lived here for two decades and have been seeing the deterioration of the community. ... I think there's something I can do to help with the quality of life for all of Terre Haute."

She added, "I walk around my neighborhood and have seen no improvement in the area in terms of infrastructure and housing. There's no food source in the district outside of a couple of convenience stores and a Dollar General — it's a food desert. There's also been no beautification."

District 2

Clark Cowden and Amanda Thompson will compete for outgoing council member Earl Elliott's position.

Cowden said he would not have run if Earl Elliott had not bowed out of the race.

"He's a friend of mine, and I made my decision after I talked to him and picked his brain," he said. "He encouraged me to run."

Cowden, the pastor at Northside Community United Methodist Church in Terre Haute and the Emmanuel Methodist Church in West Terre Haute, emphasizes economic and housing development and quality-of-life issues in his campaign literature.

"Out of the three, the strongest priority is on economic growth," he said. "I want to see people work here, to bring in new jobs for the people in the community. That will help keep young people in the city because they won't have to leave to find work."

He added, "Parks are an important factor in determining quality of life. There are a lot of physical issues in the community and trails and parks are a good way to get outdoors and get exercise.

"We want people to see that they can make Terre Haute their lifelong home and live a dynamic, purposeful, and fulfilling life here in our city," he said.

Thompson has been an attorney for 18 years, both as a deputy prosecutor and as a public defender, her current job.

"That allows me to see both sides of an issue, and it would be helpful to have someone with a legal background on the council," she said. "Attorneys draft most of the ordinances that come before the council, so someone who can understand them would be beneficial."

She's served on a precinct committee since 2010.

"I decided I wanted to get more involved, and when Earl announced he wasn't running again, that seemed like the perfect opportunity," Thompson said. "He was very crucial to the progress the council has made in budgeting. He's a numbers guy and they needed that."

Her focus will be on the east side, she said.

"We've been funding downtown revitalization for a while now, but while there has been a lot of growth on the east side, it hasn't received compatible funding," Thompson said, adding that the opening of Terre Haute's casino and possible expansion of the airport necessitates improvements in the area.

"You'll want a fire station with quick access to the casino and airport," she said. "The area should also get a satellite police station and an additional ambulance bay. You have to get ahead of these things instead of waiting for a problem that needs solving. You should be proactive."

District 4

Running against incumbent Democrat Todd Nation are Andrew Beddow and Ryan Carter.

Nation is running for his sixth term. He said he'd be able to accomplish a lot more in 2024 if another elected office changes hands.

"The more I learn about city government, the more I understand that it all starts at the mayor's office," he said. "With a new mayor, we can undertake projects that haven't been possible for 16 years."

Nation added, "I'd like to see the city's redevelopment commission reinvigorated and re-staffed. There's been a lot of attrition and those people have not been replaced.

"The northern part of the district between ISU and Union Hospital is ripe for redevelopment," he said. "We could work with them and build all types of houses and bring the area back."

The incumbent wants Terre Haute to join other Hoosier cities in creating a preservation commission that would protect culturally significant buildings from being destroyed.

"For a long time I've wanted a historic district preservation commission ordinance," he said. "We need a new city board but the mayor needs to be on board to see it all the way through."

Nation said that the city should capitalize on the fact that its financing is "the best it's been in decades.

"We need to be rebuilding infrastructure and developing the riverfront," he said. "Another project is a railroad underpass downtown. We have the revenue to achieve those goals, and I'd like to be around for that."

Beddow got interested in politics in high school, which inspired him to study political science at ISU, where he's currently getting his masters in Public Administration.

"I saw a need and decided to stop just following politics and to get involved," he said. "We must have young leaders in this town. A lot of my friends have moved away, and getting young leaders could help stop that trend."

Like Nation, Beddow's in favor of a preservation commission.

"A big issue is revitalizing the Farrington's Grove neighborhood," he said. "A preservation commission would help with that."

Beddow noted that Nation voted against shutting 8th Street to make room for the Terre Haute Convention Center.

"He may see new development as hurting the city's character or disrupting people's lives," he said. "I think it's worth it if it provides growth. We can't stay stagnant."

Carter has run in the past as an at-large candidate, but is running this year in the district he lives in.

He thinks Nation's 20 years on the council "is too long." he said.

"He said he'd put in lighting in Farrington's Grove. It's been dark forever. He's been there 20 years, so why hasn't that been done?"

Carter said Nation has focused on Farrington's Grove when "There's more than one area in the district.

"Farrington's Grove looks nice — in the Avenues where I live, the houses look bad," he added.

Like Nation, Carter said, "I'd develop the north part of the area. Union Hospital and ISU are buying up property but they're not doing anything with it. I'd make it look new over there. I want to push this city to its limits and make it better.

District 5

James P. Chalos, Jimmie Jeffers and Ralph M. Leck all threw their hats into the ring to replace outgoing Councilman Neil Garrison. Chalos previously served as a councilman-at-large from 2007-2019.

Chalos has lived in District 5 for 30 years; his kids and wife's parents live there, too.

He's running for the council again because, he said, "As you get older, you want to leave something better than you found it."

Chalos said he'll emulate his predecessor.

"Neil's a fantastic guy — he was always accessible," he said. "A big part of a city council job is accessibility."

Chalos seeks to continue the revitalization of 12 Points, keep Collett Park's play equipment up to date and preserve the historical area around it. Streets and sidewalks will also be a priority.

"All you got to do is take a drive to see that's needed," he said.

Zoning ordinances need to be updated, Chalos said, but not at the expense of legitimate sober-living recovery houses.

"You need to protect neighborhoods with zoning," he said, "but you must lead with compassion."

Jeffers, who is retired from the Indiana Department of Revenue, has spoken at City Council meetings but hadn't considered becoming a part of it until Garrison revealed his intentions.

"I've known Neil for a long time, and when he announced, the idea went through my head briefly," he said. "Then I had people I know asking me and it snowballed a little bit. Martha Crossen was the last person who talked to me and then I decided to do it."

Jeffers suggested he would take a contemplative role on the council.

"I'm kind of a sit-back-and-scan-the-horizon kind of guy," he said. "Things are going pretty well in the city, particularly financially, which is something I'm very interested in. I like making the most of what we've got and seeing how far we can stretch it."

Infrastructure will be a priority for Jeffers.

"I drive around and there are streets where I'm amazed at the condition they're in," he said. "Someone asked me, 'How many times do you have to pave Ohio before you pave North 11th?'"

Additionally, Jeffers said, "We should make long-term goals and then stick to them. There were times when what the city said and what we did were different things. Things change, but we should stick to it the best we can."

Leck, a retired history professor who taught both at Rose-Hulman and ISU, decided to run because "I wanted to participate in finding a vision for the future of the city."

Suitably for a historian, Leck wants to rebuild Fort Harrison, the site of the first American land victory during the War of 1812.

"Two presidents served at that Fort," he said, adding that because "Native Americans and Europeans had peaceful relations in the Wabash Valley," the rebuilt fort would include a Native American Interpretive Center.

Leck said The Avenues, the largest neighborhood in District 5, has been woefully neglected, and proposes teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to reverse the trend.

"We're trying to find out if the buildings slated to be torn down can be transferred to Habitat for Humanity and rehabilitated," he said.

District 6

Three Democratic candidates hope to replace Crossen — Jennifer L. Buttrey Dammann, Anthony Dinkel and Cathy Frakes.

Crossen decided not to seek reelection this year.

Buttrey Dammann, a Level II certified assessor/appraiser for the Vigo County Assessor's Office, said she's running because "My kids are grown, so I have more time to get involved with the community."

She believes the city could make significant improvements when it comes to solid waste management.

"The city cleanup places to deposit old furniture are far from some people — there should be one in each district, and they should do it more often than twice a year," Buttrey Dammann said, adding, "Recycling options should be available to everyone."

Infrastructure is a concern, particularly upgrading parks and the Deming Park pool, and she said, "We should clean up blighted areas and tear down eyesores."

Buttrey Dammann promises to be accessible to her constituency.

"I plan to listen," she said. "I'll be always available to learn about people's concerns so I can make the best decision for the community."

Dinkel struggled with deciding to run for office.

"I thought a lot about it and went back and forth," said the event technician for St. Mary-of-the-Woods College who is also on the board of the Community Theatre of Terre Haute. "But I thought I could bring my experience in the nonprofit sector to city government — they're very compatible — and I would bring a younger voice to the City Council."

Dinkel said his nonprofit background will come in handy on the council.

"Nonprofits and the council have a similar deliberative process, and nonprofits receive donor dollars and don't keep the profit, they invest it back into the community," he said. "Government does the same with taxpayers' money. Both are looking for the most effective use of money and how to get the most return on investment."

Dinkel expressed admiration for Crossen.

"Martha was a great voice on the council," he said. "Whoever wins will have big shoes to fill. I look to her as an example of what type of councilperson I would want to be."

Dinkel believes Terre Haute's declining population has negative effects for all aspects of the city.

"We need to stop the decline and reverse the trend and find improvements that will retain and attract residents," Dinkel said. "Infrastructure plays into that — roads and sidewalks and neighborhood parks. So many parks in District 6 are far beyond inadequate, and this is where children with no means to go to Deming or Fairbanks have to go."

Frakes leads her local Neighborhood Watch; two incidents last summer involving the group brought her to council meetings, where she discovered she was fascinated by the council's mission.

"They want to do the right thing for this city," said the retired teacher.

Neighborhood safety is Frakes' biggest priority.

"I want to make sure the police and fire departments have all they need, equipment-wise and salary-wise," she added. "That's a big, big thing. Without safety, you don't have anything."

Animal control needs to be revamped, she believes.

"The city's understaffed and can't get the job done, and when they do pick up stray dogs, the shelter's often full." Frakes said. "You might be walking your dog and a stray starts growling at you, it's unnerving. It's a safety issue in a different way."

Recycling is also high on Frakes' list of needed improvements.

"We have the recycling center on the north side, but we can use one on the south side," she said. "It'd be nice if we appeared more environmentally friendly to other parts of the state. We shouldn't have to pay for recycling, it's like we're being punished for doing the right thing. We should focus on accessibility and affordability."

No Republicans filed to run for the City Council in the primary election. The party, however, could choose to select candidates in a caucus this summer. The deadline to submit candidates for the November election is noon July 3.

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.