Zionsville mayoral candidates lay out their plans

Apr. 24—Zionsville mayoral candidates Jane Burgess and John Stehr both seek the Republican nomination in the May 2 primary election.

No Democrats filed to run for mayor in the May 2 primary election, although current Mayor Emily Styron is a Democrat and is not seeking re-election after one term.

The Lebanon Reporter asked the two candidates a series of questions. Following are their answers:

The town council has complained about a lack of financial transparency from the current mayor. What do you think is going on with Zionsville's finances and bookkeeping and how will you address it?

Burgess: Because of Mayor Styron and her administration, we find our financial house in disarray. The public has lost trust in our Town government.

Our Town deserves better. Our current Mayor has driven our finances into the ground. The State Board of Accounts (SBOA) audit of our 2021 financials resulted in findings of misappropriation of funds, improper use of town credit cards and unapproved expenditures, to name a few. And the Town Council didn't see financial statements for two years due to a horrific conversion of accounting systems. As a result, Standard & Poor's (S&P) dropped our Town bond rating from AA+ to AA with a negative outlook.

My first priority is to get our financial house back in order, and restore trust in the Mayor's office.

I have a plan for my first 90 days in office that includes:

1. Hire an independent accounting firm to audit our financials and our internal controls;

2. Meet with the SBOA and S&P to determine the best and most efficient path back to financial responsibility and trust; and

3. Evaluate all Town vendors to ensure the best return of taxpayer dollars.

I will restore our financial health and trust in the Mayor's office so that Zionsville can move forward and thrive again.

Stehr: The financial issues that have caused a strain in Zionsville were well-documented in the State Board of Accounts audit that was released in August of 2022. They included a purchase card system that had no oversight, an over $200,000 unapproved town hall renovation project, and a lack of staff training on internal financial procedures — which led to inaccurate bank statements.

Add to that, the software system adopted in 2020 and implemented in the first half of 2021 was not able to produce accurate information about the town's finances.

It is important to note, however, that the issues are not related to our debt load, or our municipal tax rate, which is among the lowest when compared to our peer communities in Central Indiana. And despite the challenges, I believe we are well funded in our public safety operations, town employees have gotten appropriate wage increases, and we have been prudent in discretionary spending.

I would be open to an independent audit of Zionsville's finances, and then move to focus on bringing transparency to our financial picture in 2024 and beyond. That includes consistent, reliable reporting of our financial information to the Town Council and the public. As the fiduciary body, the Council should always have the information it needs to make appropriate spending decisions for the town. As Mayor, I will accept the responsibility of providing that information and work with the Director of Finance and Records to make sure it is done in a timely manner.

We will also need to put procedures in place to make sure payments are made appropriately to the parties which are entitled to receive them, and that internal controls exist to make sure all expenses are pre-approved by the Council.

What would you do as mayor to improve relations with the town council?

Stehr: We have seen a massive breakdown in communication in our town hall — and it's true that when you don't communicate, you don't trust — and it's very hard to work with people you don't trust.

We need a new way forward, and I have developed a communications skill set over my 42-year career in broadcasting that I can use to help. It will begin with establishing a working relationship with each town council member — to find out what's important to them, and what they see as important to their constituents. It means taking the time to listen and be empathetic to what it is that has driven them to step out and take on a role with the council.

Proper communication also demands transparency — and that is why I will invite a representative of the council to be part of every major meeting that occurs. I will not do anything behind their back, nor will I try to shield anything from them or the public.

As the sports cliche' goes, "your best ability is availability." I, or my direct representative, will give an 'administration report' at every council meeting and, to the best of my ability, answer publicly every question that councilors have. I will return phone calls and communicate directly with my fellow elected officials as efficiently as I can.

I want to rebuild trust in our town hall — and harness the talent and resources of our people to help ensure prosperity and quality of life for generations to come.

Burgess: I will do what I have been doing for the past 16 months in preparing for this role — I will meet with the Town Councilors one-on-one and I will attend the Town Council meetings to understand the issues. I will work WITH, not against, the Town Council. I will be actively engaged with our Town Councilors. We will not always agree, but I will always remain at the table until we find common ground. I will bring collaboration, leadership, transparency and civility back to the Mayor's office.

I have five public endorsements from Town Council members. Each has seen the time and effort I have put in not only attending their meetings, but convening with them individually to discuss matters in detail. Of course, the make up of our council will change this fall. To that end, I have begun to meet and build relationships with many of these candidates because I know relationships are critical to getting anything of substance accomplished.

The same goes for the Mayor's office. I know it has pained many of us to watch what has happened. Here's the thing: I thrive on bringing people together to work toward a common goal. I believe it's best to lead by example, provide encouragement yet still expect accountability. Given the amount of turnover and reduced morale, I know that gaining trust, building a culture of positivity and pride, and restoring faith in our Town government are necessary for our continued success. My approach will change the nature of the relationship between the Mayor's office and the Town Council. But I won't stop there — I intend to work well with all local, state or federal officials needed to benefit our town.

What top three or four challenges face Zionsville in the next 10 years, and what is your plan to address them?

Burgess: Now and for the next 10 years, I believe Zionsville's top challenges are diversifying our tax base, traffic congestion, and keeping our status as one of the safest cities in Indiana.

My platform in running for Mayor addresses each of these. Once I have our financial house in order — my first and most pressing priority — I believe that smart economic development is critical for our future. We must bring in the right businesses to diversify our tax base. Our residents pay entirely too much in property taxes and the problem will only worsen if we don't have more commercial assessed value. My plan will get the right businesses here — and will bring great jobs as well.

Because our schools are so highly rated and we are one of the safest towns in the country, our population has almost doubled in the past 10 years. As a result, traffic congestion has become the norm. We need to identify ways to disperse traffic with the least amount of impact on our residents. We must protect the low speed, low volume and pedestrian-friendly nature of traffic on the bricked Main Street. We can't forget the rest of Zionsville as the town continues to grow. As your Mayor, I will work with INDOT, county officials and our local team to thoughtfully address our current needs and carefully plan for our future.

We must remain a safe place to live. Given our rapid pace of growth, we must ensure that we are keeping pace in supporting our public safety partners with appropriate training, resources, equipment and gratitude for the important role that they provide in our community.

Stehr: Infrastructure — There are several areas of concern in Zionsville. Most notably, Oak Street west of Boone Village, Michigan Road north of 121st Street, and Zionsville Road at Sycamore. All of these roads are outdated and not able to handle the traffic flow that has increased due to development and population increase. Making meaningful change will require bringing together diverse constituencies and pulling necessary funding to pay for the construction.

As new development occurs, we should have a set of standards to which developers would have to adhere to make sure that infrastructure stays ahead of the growth. A complimentary side benefit to this would be making growth more deliberate so that the supporting roads and utilities keep up without being overly taxed.

Managing Growth — Growth is not only coming, it is here, and we can either be scared of it or embrace it. I think we need to embrace it. That doesn't mean throwing open the doors and letting anyone come in, but it means coming up with a set of standards for the types of construction and the impact on our tax base.

In Zionsville, I think that means more development "around the edges" of our historic core. That will help maintain quality of life for those of us already here, as well as for our new neighbors coming in.

Stonegate is a good example of the type of development that can play a part in the future. It has green space, a small retail area, a school, and other amenities that give it a "community" feel. Impact on the infrastructure of the greater town is lessened as it keeps more people off the already crowded roads.

Public Safety — There are three main components to public safety: Police Department; the Fire Service; and Mental Health. As Zionsville grows, these essential community services need to be supported. That means making sure that staffing levels are appropriate to the number of citizens served.

Police: ZPD is well-equipped, but we need more patrol officers. That can be accomplished by a multi-year plan to add several officers a year until we get closer to the FBI-suggested level of staffing.

Fire Service: Staffing needs to be increased as our stations are asked to run multiple pieces of equipment with a minimum number of firefighters/paramedics. There is little flexibility for staffers to take vacation, sick days, and regularly-scheduled days off. We have also fallen behind in replacing equipment. Efforts need to be made to get back on schedule to make sure that firefighters have the equipment they need, and we need to be mindful of capturing land now to build future fire stations in areas that are likely to grow.

Mental Health: We need to make more effort in supporting mental health in all of our citizens — including our first responders who are under a high level of job-related stress. They also have to have a higher level of training to deal with people in mental health crisis. De-escalating situations can lead to greater safety for our first responders, the people in crisis, and others nearby.

What are Zionsville's three biggest assets and how will you improve them?

Stehr: Brick Main Street — Zionsville has the asset that every town in Central Indiana wants — an authentic, historic Main Street business district. We love our bricks — and we should. What we have is real and we need to protect and enhance it.

We can do that by building a new southern entrance to our downtown. It must be an economically vibrant area that opens up our downtown to people who want to live-work-play. Condominiums, office and retail space, restaurants and entertainment venues. It has also got to be complimentary to the brick street, a welcoming area that announces "YOU ARE IN ZIONSVILLE" — and provides basic amenities like parking, public restrooms, and a guide to the things you can do or see in Zionsville.

Heritage — The historic nature of Zionsville goes beyond the brick street business district. The village also has many aspects that people hold dear, including architecturally-significant homes and points of interest.

But, we must also remember that at its roots, Zionsville is a farming town. The railroad that informed the town's location served farmers and their crops. I have learned that the rural heritage of Zionsville is as important too many people in Union and Perry Townships as the village is to people who live closer to town.

That doesn't mean we should stop development in our rural areas. We need to recognize that Zionsville can only prosper if it is evolving. Nostalgia is not a business plan. That doesn't mean throwing open the doors and letting anyone come in to build whatever they wish, but it means coming up with a set of standards for the types of construction and the impact it will have on our tax base and infrastructure.

Since the reorganization in 2014, Zionsville has grown to 67-square miles. There is room to have new developments of homes and businesses, while protecting our historic core and rural heritage.

As Mayor, I will always use Zionsville's rich history to help inform its future.

Schools — Many people in Zionsville will tell you that they moved here for the schools. Our schools consistently rank among the very top of all districts in the state. My five children are among those who have benefited from getting their education here.

The town and the school district operate separately, but we must always be mindful of working together where we can to keep our performance level high. It starts with making sure our students are safe at school, while traveling to and from school, and that we are supporting their health and well-being within the community.

Burgess: I believe that our blue ribbon schools, unique Zionsville charm and our people are our biggest assets. Given the 12 years I spent on the Zionsville Community School (ZCS) Board, I am confident that our largest employer — and economic engine — will continue to be a top-rated school district for years to come. In my role, I was able to see the quality and caliber of the administration and the teachers that make up ZCS. I know our new Superintendent, Dr. Becky Coffman, personally, and I have never felt more confident in the future of our schools. As Mayor, I will ensure that the strong partnership ZCS has with so many of our Town's partners — police, fire, the business community, our not-for-profits and the Mayor's office — continues. In my platform for smart economic development, I envision a formal partnership with our high school students and the business community to allow for internships for both traditional and non-traditional students. This will benefit our students, and will assist with workforce development and the human capital shortage that our businesses face.

Our unique Zionsville charm is simply ... the best. We want to share that charm with visitors and residents alike. To do so, I believe we must improve our traffic patterns to alleviate dangers and frustration. Our infrastructure needs additional attention, specifically our downtown sidewalks, curbs and banners. The Gateway Area must be completed in a way that complements our downtown. We are more than our iconic Main Street and have many assets to showcase.{p class="Default"}Lastly, our people are an incredible asset. Residents of Zionsville are active, caring, involved and dedicated to our beautiful town. I wouldn't change a thing about them but will work to represent them well to ensure a sense of community.

Are you happy with the town's department heads and do you anticipate any changes on that front if you are elected?

Burgess: I know many of the people who work for the Town of Zionsville, and I am amazed at the effort that our town employees put in to this place we call home. I am thankful to live in a Town whose people — and employees — care so much. If I am privileged to be the next Mayor of Zionsville, I look forward to forging a new relationship with the employees of the Town — all of them — and setting us on a track to succeed in ways we have not imagined.

Stehr: Under the reorganization of 2014, the Mayor does not have the latitude to remove department heads without the support of the Town Council. I will always work with Councilors to make sure we have the best people in place to serve the citizens of Zionsville.

That being said, I am very comfortable with the leaders that we have in place currently. I would strive to support them in any way I can because if they are successful, Zionsville is successful.

The essence of leadership, to me, is helping to put a group of people in position to perform at a high level. It is being the first to take the blame, and the last to take credit.

I will always support our team and I believe we have a strong team in place to move Zionsville forward.

What in your track record shows voters you are the best person for this job?

Stehr: In my previous career as a television news anchor, I had many constituencies. First and foremost, our audience — which relied on us for fair, comprehensive, and accurate reporting every day.

As the anchor of four daily signature broadcasts, it was my job to set the tone in our newsroom, to get everyone to focus on the task at hand, and to produce a compelling and meaningful product while operating under strict deadlines.

That included working with all of our internal departments — engineers, technicians, artists, sales and marketing, and the 85 others in the newsroom — to ensure the success of the company every single day.

It's a very competitive business — with five competitors all going after the same audience. If you don't show results, people get replaced, and we maintained the highest ratings of all Central Indiana television stations for over 20 years during my tenure. We didn't have to replace many people, which allowed them to pay their mortgages, put food on their tables, and send their children to college.

Outside of my building, I built relationships with people in our community — the newsmakers — including mayors, federal and state lawmakers, business leaders, and heads of non-profit organizations. I also had to maintain positive relationships with our sponsors and advertisers.

As the face of a $250 million company, I learned the importance of grace under pressure and relying on a well-defined moral and ethical compass to inform actions and decisions.

Together — these skills make up a skill set that is ideally suited to the job of running Zionsville's town government. Poor communication has gotten us to a low point. Better communication will lead us out.

Burgess: Zionsville needs a mayor with strong leadership and experience. I have worked in and for Zionsville for the past 21 years. My leadership experience and relationships in Zionsville run deep. I served on boards for Lions Club, Hussey Mayfield Library Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Boone County and was elected three times to the Zionsville School Board, 2008-20, serving 12 years.

I was a fiduciary for the town's largest economic engine and employer with an annual budget in 2020 of $96 million and 1,300 employees. In that role I worked with our Town's critical partners — the police, fire, the Town Council, the Redevelopment Commission, not-for-profits and businesses who contributed to our schools.

On day one as Mayor, I will draw on longstanding relationships and critical leadership experience. In addition, I already have experience with economic development for Zionsville. While I was on the School Board, we approached the Town in 2013 with the idea to buy the 91 acres for sale by the Dow Chemical Company, now known as Creekside Corporate Park. Previous business owners had tried to purchase this in the past but Dow was unwilling to subdivide the site into smaller parcels. The deal like the one between the town and ZCS made the purchase and development both strategic and lucrative. It reduced the tax burden on Zionsville residents, it increased the town's tax base and generated revenue for ZCS in addition to reducing the school district's debt. Zionsville was able to attract more businesses and stimulate commercial development.

I am proud to have played a role in this strategic move. I have not just been a bystander to our economic development, I have had my shovel in the dirt for years to help strengthen our town. While serving as Mayor will certainly be more complex, I am confident I can provide the leadership, direction and oversight needed in Zionsville.