Bargersville Republicans to reprise roles on town council

Three Republicans who began serving together in 2020 have earned another four years on the Bargersville Town Council.

Incumbents Ruth Ann Moore, Susie Qualls and James Rumell II faced a challenge from local business owner and Democrat Blythe Potter. As town council members, Moore, Qualls and Rumell will set annual spending for the town, adopt local rules and ordinances and appoint people to various town boards.

Moore, Qualls and Rumell say they’ve helped the council make significant progress in the last four years. They point to big-ticket items like a new police station and Kephart Park being checked off the council’s to-do list. All three said in an interview last month they wanted four more years to accomplish even more for the town.

While Potter acknowledged these are big achievements, she said the council should fast-track needed quality-of-life items such as better roads and more pedestrian connectivity. She said she would be more aggressive in pursuing those items, she said.

Voters sided with the three incumbents.

They will rejoin the five-member council for another four years. Other current council members Andrew Greenwood and Jaime Pheifer were elected last year.

The Daily Journal asked them what their top priorities would be during an interview prior to the election. Here’s what they said:

Moore: We’re always working on connectivity. We’re ready to get more trails, more parkland. We are building a plaza in the old town, next to the railroad tracks. It is a little park with an amphitheater that is starting this winter. And hopefully, it’ll be done next fall. It’s going to be a nice gathering place for people. We’re going to have a silo roof amphitheater to keep with our rural roots. It’ll be a nice place for people to gather. Right now, when we have town concerts, it’s in the middle of the street. So, it’s going to make it really nice. We’re always looking at improving our roads, and doing what we can to keep up with our infrastructure.

Qualls: No. 1 would be, being fiscally responsible and a good steward of taxpayer dollars, as demand for infrastructure, and governmental services increases. Continuing to pursue grants and offset costs for projects and strategically budgeting for them. Smart and responsible growth of our town through strategic planning and continuing to improve resident’s quality of life through additional trails, park programming, attractions, new businesses, and continuing the safety of our community.

Rumell: A lot of the priorities that I have are ongoing. It is to see the progress. I want to remain responsible, we’ve had a balanced budget for the three years since we’ve been managing our residents’ money. We have brought a better quality of life, including safety by supporting and adding to our growing police department. We’ve added K-9s, we’ve added officers. We’re adding more crosswalk sidewalks and ADA compliance for connectivity. One thing we’re excited about is the parks department, we’re adding more park inventory, continuing to support the parks and also support the right development for all residents of the town. I want to continue to manage and support our employees. We have some of the best employees … Another thing is to stay ahead of the traffic to keep us moving in the right direction. … And lastly, we need to be picky in our development too to get the right kind of commercial and right mix of residential to better help the community.

Bargersville voters also elected a new clerk-treasurer. Dustin Doyle, a former town council member, won the Republican nomination for clerk-treasurer over current Bargersville Clerk-Treasurer Nancy Kehl in May. Doyle was not challenged by Democrat so he had a clear path to the office next year.

In an interview during the primary, Doyle said among his goals is to be a sounding board for the town council and help them prioritize funds to complete their priority projects. He also said another goal is to create a laddered portfolio of investments for the town, which would allow the town to earn more interest on town funds that won’t be spent immediately. He also said he wants to help create an atmosphere of unity with the town government.

HOW YOU VOTED

Bargersville Town Council At-Large

Ruth Ann Moore (R): 28%

Blythe Potter (D): 12.5%

Susie Qualls (R): 30.5%

James Rumell II: 28.8%