Mayor, other primary contenders gear up for candidate forum

Mar. 20—Logansport residents running in city elections this year are gearing up for the May primary election with a candidate forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday at McHale Performing Arts Center.

The forum will feature candidates running for city council, clerk-treasurer, and mayor. The mayor race, which currently has seven candidates running between the Democrat and Republican parties, is of particular interest because of the number of people vying for the position. The Cass County League of Women Voters is working in conjunction with the Logansport Chamber of Commerce, Iron Horse Broadcasting, the Pharos-Tribune and Cass County Online to host the event.

The Indiana primary election is Tuesday, May 2.

Mayor's race

The Republican candidates for mayor include James McKeever, Johnny Quinones, and incumbent Chris Martin. The Democrat candidates for mayor include Larry Hood, Dave Kitchell, Terry Doran, and Jacob LeDonne.

Mayor Chris Martin

Martin said his team faced difficulties after he was sworn into office because some plans were delayed for nearly two years due to the pandemic, but he believes his administration was still able to accomplish a lot. During a second term, he hopes to continue building the industrial park, addressing environmental concerns on the west side of the city so it is ready for redevelopment, creating housing at places like Chase and Davis roads, and seeking federal grants for infrastructure improvements like those planned for city sidewalks around local elementary schools.

"We want to continue the progress we are currently experiencing in the city of Logansport," he said. "Obviously we've seen a lot of progress in the city over the last four years, so continuing that progress is important to the growth of our community. Downtown is booming. The east side is booming. We are also seeing an increase on the south side with McClure being put out on Heartland and starting development out there. We are working on a disc golf course on the south side along Heartland as well as some other development opportunities."

Martin said he did not have much experience when he was first elected to office but added that he is very proud of his administration's accomplishments and hopes they will be able to continue with their work for another four years.

James McKeever

McKeever, who worked in the planning and engineering department at Logansport Utilities for nearly four decades, said he is dissatisfied so far with the city's progress on introducing new industry and jobs, which would be a focus for his administration. He also said current projects like the Erie Avenue project are problematic because residents are not on board with them.

"The situation with Erie Avenue right now, in my mind, is a total travesty," he said. "You've got people who live in the city that are totally upset about how this thing has been planned initially and the long time that Erie Avenue had been closed to traffic. Now they want to extend this all the way to 18th Street... people in Logansport don't want that. This project will cost millions upon millions, and I think that there's way better use of money to help people in Logansport."

McKeever said his experience working at Logansport Utilities helped him learn how to coordinate with city, county, and state government entities. He said his goals are to give more choices and transparency to Logansport residents, and he added that he has many other ideas he is interested in implementing if they receive public support.

Johnny Quinones

Quinones, who is president and CEO at Qs Customs LLC and a former Logansport Code Enforcement Officer, is also running for mayor as a Republican. He was originally announced as a deputy mayor pick by Democratic candidate Larry Hood. The Pharos-Tribune was unable to reach Quinones for comment despite multiple attempts. Residents will hope to learn more about his platform at the candidate forum on Tuesday evening.

Larry Hood

Hood, a current city council member representing Logansport Ward 2, is running for mayor because he is concerned about the direction of the city, especially concerning spending.

"I've been on the council for seven years, and the spending has gotten out of hand," he said. "I want to run to try to control the city's spending or put it in a different direction and work to bring industry to the community. I know a lot of people are talking about housing, but there's very little conversation about industry. We've gotten new restaurants and things like that, but I don't know when the last time was that we got new industry in our area. With Kokomo having a $2.5 million dollar plant being built on the north side of Kokomo, I had to ask myself, 'What about Logansport?'"

Hood pointed out that he has worked as a public safety chairperson to help oversee the city's fire and police departments for the majority of his time on the city council. He said his experience in that role has taught him about utilizing available staff and equipment to their full potential to save money. At the same time, he hopes to eventually give public city officials working for the city pay raises if he becomes mayor.

Jacob LeDonne

LeDonne, the current president of the city council, is less concerned about the city's finances than Hood. LeDonne said he is running for mayor because he wants to be part of the discussion about about Logansport going forward.

"I care about the direction the city goes in," he said. "I want to be around to be part of the decision making and make sure that we stay on the correct path. ...I have almost four years in city government. This is going to be my fourth year on the finance committee, so I help develop the budget and set aside money to help prepare the city to get projects done. I feel like I've helped put us in a pretty good financial position."

LeDonne said he is very proud of the council's work on the police department that is currently being built at the former juvenile detention center because the city did not have to raise taxes to finance the project. He is also proud of a program he championed during the pandemic to distribute gas and grocery cards to residents in need. Going forward, he said he wants to embrace the city's multicultural elements and continue to champion beneficial projects within Logansport.

Dave Kitchell

For Kitchell, winning the election would put him in his second term as mayor of Logansport. He served as mayor from 2015 to 2019, and he believes he has more to offer Logansport.

"We need to finish what we've already started," he said. "As someone who spent more time in the city building than the rest of the candidates combined, I've had a lot of experience and background there. I have a feel for what's important to the community, what people want, what they fear, and what they like. A lot of what I was able to do was a readiness initiative for long-term planning. We need to get to the point where we have a long-term plan that everybody's on the same page with. It's not one mayor's agenda or one council's agenda, but it's the community agenda."

Kitchell said he has experience setting community-wide goals and meeting with state officials to receive funding for important projects. Additionally, he also wants to address Logansport's high rates of substance abuse, remediate polluted land that is owned by the city so it can be redeveloped, preserve historic buildings and properties, maintain the city building, and create more collaboration between the county and city.

Terry Doran

Doran, who previously ran for mayor in 2019 and has served as a city council member, vice president of the Arts Alliance, finance committee member, and president of the Logansport Parks and Recreation Foundation, said he has a vast array of experience that makes him a good fit for mayor.

"I've been involved in local government and nonprofits for more than 20 years," he said. "I've seen what's been done well in my opinion and what's been done not-so-well. (Running for mayor) is something I've thought about for a long time."

Doran said he is passionate about Logansport because the city has a lot to offer. He talked about the way the city remembers and honors it's heritage while it grows and develops. As mayor, he hopes to grow the city's north, south, and west sides while improving the overall image that Logansport projects to people outside the city.

Other races

Logansport clerk-treasurer Duane Ullom, a Democrat, will seek an additional term in November against Republican Tyler Pearson.

Several seats of the Logansport City Common Council are also up in 2023.

Dave Morris, a Democrat who is currently the Ward 1 representative, will go for the at-large seat. He will face either Benjamin Grant or Jonathan Nelms, both Republicans, in November. Nelms is the current at-large seat holder.

Democrat Jesika Alexander will be on the ballot in November for the Ward 2 seat. Her opponent will be decided in the Republican primary with BJ Cox and Blain R. Perkins vying for the spot.

Republican Cameron Austin is the lone candidate for Ward 1, Democrat Carl H. McPherson Jr. is the only candidate for Ward 4, and Democrat Scott G. Peattie is the lone candidate in Ward 5.