Posey County Council At-Large

Kay Kilgore (R), Self-Employed

1. What are your top 3 priorities as a candidate for office?

Meet with county officials to get their input on any assistance by the County Council that can be provided that they feel isn’t being done so.

Review the 2009 county budgets vs 2008 actual figures to see where changes could have been made in preparation for 2010’s budget discussions.

Do anything in my power to improve the reputation of the County Council and ensure the public opinion is that the County Council is looking after their needs first and foremost.

2. With the ongoing discussions of budget shortfalls, how can municipalities ensure efficient and cost-effective measures at the local level?  To alleviate taxpayer burden and streamline leadership, would you be in favor of unifying local units of government? 

I believe this can be accomplished by:  a) Having a system where all projects have administrative oversight to ensure needs are being met and money is being spent wisely; b) By performing a Return on Investment (ROI) and other financial assessments before beginning new projects or selecting a course of action; and c) By utilizing local firms for contracted work whenever possible, thus keeping the money within the local economy.

This is a complex issue.  Unlike Evansville, Owensboro, or Henderson, Posey County is not dominated by one large city.  Unification could impact Mount Vernon, Poseyville, New Harmony, and Cynthiana, as well as the county residents.  There may be some opportunities for consolidation of services that could benefit all, but there must be much study before a prudent course of action is selected.  So, I would say yes, assuming the consolidation is a win/win for all involved.

3. As economic development becomes increasingly competitive on the regional and state level, how best can our local leaders assist in the attraction of new business and retention and expansion of local companies?

By ensuring that our county has identified and developed a plan to eliminate any “problem” areas that would deter new businesses from locating here and current businesses from leaving – all without raising county taxes.  Additionally, it has been proven in the past that a large payroll being spent within the area is beneficial to the city and county.  I would be in favor of offering incentive packages that expire after an appropriate amount of time.  This is needed to compete with other communities or areas that will most definitely being offering incentive deals.

As a follow-up, do you support continued financial support of the regional Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana?

Yes

4. In 2007, the bi-partisan Kernan-Shepard Commission made numerous recommendations to reform and restructure local government in Indiana, such as creation of a single county executive and legislative body, as well as transferring the responsibilities of townships to the county level.  Do you support implementation of these recommendations? 

Yes, I’m afraid if something is not done, then our local government will never be able to recover financially.  I can see how it would be beneficial, but not without speed bumps.

5. As a municipal leader, how do you view your role in handling issues of regional importance to Southwest Indiana? 

Regional issues impact many communities and people.  Teams with individuals from each impacted area must work together in a collaborative fashion for the good of the area.  Additionally, each team member must act as a watchdog to ensure that no decisions are made that are detrimental to their home area.  As a representative on such a team, it would be imperative that I bring information back to the community and seek feedback from the citizens of Mt. Vernon before participating in any decision-making.

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Ralph Weinzapfel* (D), Retired

1. What are your top 3 priorities as a candidate for office?

Keep the county budget in the black

Fund and support economic development

Develop and maintain a good working relationship with the county offices and be open to suggestions from the public.

2. With the ongoing discussions of budget shortfalls, how can municipalities ensure efficient and cost-effective measures at the local level?  To alleviate taxpayer burden and streamline leadership, would you be in favor of unifying local units of government? 

All government departments must cooperate and work together to eliminate unnecessary spending and outright waste. Unifying local units of government can be beneficial if the necessary steps are taken for thorough study and planning. For example, the cost to the county regarding township assessors for assessing purposes will cost more now than before until the terms of the elected township assessors expire. A positive aspect of this change should be more uniform assessments.

3. As economic development becomes increasingly competitive on the regional and state level, how best can our local leaders assist in the attraction of new business and retention and expansion of local companies?

As a follow-up, do you support continued financial support of the regional Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana?

Local leaders must take an active role in their county's economic development organization. Financial support is a must. I am an active member of the board of directors of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. Also, I was an active member of the QCDC which became a part of the development coalition and have been involved in the development and organization of the county economic development partnership which I feel is vital to Posey County. I support financial investment in the regional Economic Development Coalition

4. In 2007, the bi-partisan Kernan-Shepard Commission made numerous recommendations to reform and restructure local government in Indiana, such as creation of a single county executive and legislative body, as well as transferring the responsibilities of townships to the county level.  Do you support implementation of these recommendations? 

Further study needs to be done regarding the ramifications of restructuring local government. How change is implemented and the preparation in advance of any changes is of utmost importance. Township governments were established so local government would be closer and directly responsible to people. This certainly could change to a degree with changes to county government. I support the goal of making township and county government accountable and more responsive and cost-effective

5. As a municipal leader, how do you view your role in handling issues of regional importance to Southwest Indiana? 

Collaboration by government officials throughout the region is imperative to the success of local and regional economic development. All counties need to support the endeavor both financially and creatively. Posey County is the only county in the regional Economic Development Coalition that does not have its own organized economic development commission; however, great progress has been made to develop such an organization.

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George "Bud" Fischer (R) - Did not return survey.

Robert "Bob" Gentil (D) - Did not return survey.

Clyde Guthrie (R) - Did not return survey.

Martin Redman (D) - Did not return survey.

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