Members of the county Republican Party will select two new Greenwood city council members this month — and eight people want the first opening.
Two council seats are now vacant after former council member Chuck Landon died last month, and former council member Brent Corey resigned.
In a letter, Corey said he resigned because he no longer lives in Greenwood. Last week, police searched his Greenwood business, Sizemore Insurance Agency, as part of an investigation that began in July. Corey’s at-large seat is set to be filled in a second caucus on Sept. 18.
Eight people applied for Landon’s at-large seat, and a new council member will be selected and sworn in tonight.
Candidates include retirees, a lawyer, a teacher, a former police chief and a long-time former council member. Greenwood’s Republican Party precinct committee members will conduct a caucus to select a new member of the city council at 7 p.m. tonight at city hall.
The 52 precinct members will cast secret ballots to pick the next council member. Anyone who has a record of voting Republican and has lived in Greenwood for at least a year was eligible to apply.
Greenwood council members made $12,120 in 2017, and make decisions such as setting annual spending for the city, creating or changing rules or policies and deciding whether to implement new taxes or offer tax breaks.
Both seats are at-large seats, meaning these council members will represent the entire city of Greenwood. Council members are elected to four-year terms, but both candidates selected in this month’s caucuses will serve the remainder of the ongoing terms, which conclude at the end of 2019.
Local deputy prosecutor wants to make community safer
Andrew Foster, a local lawyer for nearly two decades, wants to serve his community in another way, he said.
Foster, a deputy prosecutor, has worked cases primarily in the Johnson County Circuit Court for 15 years. He graduated from Greenwood Community High School before attending Franklin College and law school in Indianapolis.
He began his legal career at the Greenwood City Court working parking tickets and traffic violations, he said. Last year, he won a local murder trial. His father was a local prosecutor and judge too, so keeping the community safe is in his blood, he said.
For the past few years, Foster has been the on-call prosecutor. So he knows firsthand what is happening on the city’s streets, he said.
“Basically everything that happens after hours, the deputies will call me, so I get all of the 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. calls,” Foster said.
If he wins the seat, he hopes to encourage some changes in areas he says feed nuisance activity, such as several motels near the Main Street exit of Interstate 65.
“From drug overdoses to theft-related crimes, search warrants and shootings … I’d like to draft an ordinance declaring those nuisance areas. Obviously we would give the businesses a chance to remedy the problem, but take legal action if they don’t,” he said.
“If you come here off the interstate, the first thing you see is these hotels.”
He would also encourage more development in the downtown area and make sure the city is spending money wisely, he said.
“I just see this as another way to serve the community I grew up in. I’d like to see the city and community continue to grow, but grow responsibly. Just because we have the money doesn’t mean we should spend it.”
Former police chief hopes to continue service
Bob Dine, a former Greenwood police chief, wants to make sure everyone’s voices are heard, he said.
Dine, who is also a Greenwood Community High School graduate, worked for the Greenwood Police Department for 41 years. He formerly ran on the Republican ticket for mayor.
He retired this summer, but said he hopes to continue serving the community he and his family have called home his entire life.
“My roots are here. I’ve driven every street and every alley and I’ve seen what’s gone on,” Dine said.
“I’ve been talking to people and a lot of people feel like they don’t have a say here. So I kind of want to be a voice for the little man. I can bring a whole different perspective that no one else has.”
Dine, 65, said if he wins the seat, he plans to host meet-and-greets every eight weeks, whether it be at the City Center or a local restaurant.
“I promise to listen. I want to be a voice, not just a rubber stamp,” he said.
Active community member wants to give followers bigger voice
Randy Goodin is no stranger to city government. He manages a Facebook group called “Concerned Citizens of Southeast Greenwood,” which has more than 400 members, and has taken several of their issues and concerns before the council.
Recently, he led the public’s charge to encourage city officials to withdraw a tax break for Monsanto, a seed distribution and equipment storage operation that was in the works last year. Several local residents, including Goodin, raised concerns about the company’s history of environmental issues. Greenwood eventually withdrew its offer of a $1.6 million tax break, citing public opposition.
Goodin reads over every city agenda and attends most meetings, he said.
“It’s a platform we use to inform neighbors of what is happening,” Goodin said of his group’s efforts. “That way, one way or another, they have a chance to reach out to the council to have their voices heard. I have been representing them in front of the council for three years now.”
He also serves on Greenwood’s Economic Development Commission and has served on the city’s Redevelopment Commission.
The 55-year-old works in the healthcare industry as a project manager for hospitals and cancer clinics. He has lived in Greenwood for 15 years.
If he wins the seat, he wouldn’t just be a voice for the community, he would be a vote, he said. He would make sure the city takes a closer look at the details of construction and development projects to make sure the city is spending wisely.
Oxley would like to have hand in Greenwood’s future
Jim Oxley, 63, has had his say on several boards and committees in Greenwood. Now he hopes to have a say on the council, he said.
Oxley, who had a 30-year career in the financial services industry, has served on the Greenwood Community school board, Greenwood Christian Academy school board, Economic Development Commission, Plan Commission, several non-profit boards and was a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club for 29 years, he said.
“There has been a lot of frustration about the lack of communication about construction projects,” Oxley said. “My strong suit is people skills, so I want to be a voice.”
He is a supporter of Mayor Mark Myers and is proud of the city’s growth over the past couple of years, he said.
“There are lot of projects coming up that will set up Greenwood for the next several generations,” Oxley said. “I want to have a hand in that, not for me, but for my kids and grandkids.”
Former teacher wants to make Greenwood place to stay
Tiffany Woods, an elementary school teacher for 11 years in Greenwood Community Schools, is now a stay-at-home mom. She also serves on the Greenwood Education Foundation’s board, and volunteers as a school liaison and community outreach coordinator.
“My desire to fill this seat comes from a passion of serving my community and seeing the city I call home continue to thrive. I want Greenwood to be a place that when my children are grown, they want to remain here,” Woods said in an email.
She founded a local group called “Neighbors of West Old Town Greenwood.”
“The propensity of this group is to help foster relationships between neighbors, local businesses and the city,” she said in an email.
In September, she will begin classes with Leadership Johnson County. Woods grew up in Greenwood and graduated from Greenwood Community High School.
Former long-time council member ready to serve again
Ron Deer, who served on the city council for 24 years, was defeated in 2012, and again when he ran in the 2016 election. Now he has applied for Landon’s seat.
Now that he is retired from the Indianapolis Airport Authority, where he was Parking and Transportation Director for two decades, he has even more time to dedicate to his constituents, he said.
The 68-year-old said he was known for being a rebel on the council, often providing a lone vote.
“When you do it for that long, sometimes you just need to take a break … You have to have a heart for it. You can’t be self-serving. You have to think about what is good for a community as a whole,” Deer said.
“I’m not going into this with a particular issue I want to take on. I want to continue to make sure what we’re doing is appropriate for a community our size.”
As a conservative, his No. 1 priority has always been making sure the city is not overspending, and that taxpayer dollars are going towards needs, not wants, he said.
“You don’t have to worry about a learning curve with me,” Deer said. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve been there, done that, so I can hit the ground running.”
Payne, Reed have served community in various roles
David Payne and Paul Reed had not responded to requests for comment.
Payne ran as an independent against former Mayor Charles Henderson in 2007, but lost. He ran as an independent again in 2011, but was defeated by Myers.
Payne was a Greenwood police officer for three decades.
Reed served on the Johnson County Council in the early 2000s. His priorities then were keeping taxes low, avoiding new taxes and improving public safety.
Reed has also served on the Center Grove school board.
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Republican Party Caucuses
What: Greenwood’s Republican Party precinct committee members will conduct a caucus to select a new at-large city council member to replace Chuck Landon, who died recently.
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Greenwood City Center, 300 S. Madison Ave.
Who picks: 52 precinct committee members will cast secret ballots to pick the next council member; one precinct post is vacant
Next caucus
What: Greenwood’s Republican Party precinct committee members will conduct a caucus to select a new at-large city council member to replace Brent Corey, who recently resigned.
When: 7 p.m. Sept. 18
Where: Greenwood City Center
Who picks: 52 precinct committee members will cast secret ballots to pick a new city council member after Brent Corey’s resignation
Deadline: Residents who have lived in Greenwood for at least one year and wish to join the city council must apply in writing by 7 p.m. Sept. 15 to Johnson County Republican Party Chairwoman Beth Boyce at 845 Richart Lane, Greenwood, IN 46142.
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