Eck, Blessinger seek Dubois County Commission seat

Jasper businessman Gary Eck and Dubois County Treasurer Chad Blessinger are vying for the District 1 seat on the Dubois County Commission.

There are three commissioner districts in Dubois County; Dubois County voters can cast a vote for all three seats. District 1 consists of Boone, Columbia, Harbison, Madison and Patoka Townships.

Eck, 59, is the Democratic nominee for the seat. He is the co-owner and cofounder of Eck-Mundy Associates, a business that specializes in computer and telephone technologies for small and middle size businesses, government, and non-profit organizations in Dubois and surrounding counties since 1993.

Eck is a summa cum laude graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Economics. He was also the Valedictorian of the 1974 class at Jasper High School. He is an Indiana-licensed Professional Engineer and has served as the chairman of the Evansville/Owensboro Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

A life-long member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Boone Township, Eck has served as council president, children’s Sunday school teacher, children’s choir director and is currently a church organist and pianist.

Eck is an active mentor for the Memorial Hospital Alzheimer’s Support Group where he shares his past experiences with families dealing with dementia. He has been a 4-H leader and is also a member of the Dubois County Museum, Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition (ROJAC), the Farm Bureau, the Dubois County Cattlemen Association and a Jasper Optimist Club board member. He just concluded serving as the chairman of the Dubois County Democrats.

Eck is running because he feels it is time he gives back to the community that has supported him through the years.

“Nearly 40 years ago I chose to return to Dubois County after college because of all the things it had to offer. It was a great place to raise a family and had solid employment opportunities. I benefitted from all these good things,” he said. “At this point in time I can give back to the current and future generations. My grown children and grandchildren are doing great, my health is excellent, and my business is solid. I now can devote the time that Dubois County deserves and needs.”

Eck contends that his childhood on a grain and livestock farm and his experience with a cattle operation until 2010 lends to his connection with the agricultural interests of Dubois County. “I have an understanding of the needs of our agribusiness community and the technologies that are coming to keep them productive,” he said.

Additionally, as a small business owner of Eck-Mundy Associates, a successful 23 year old technology company, Eck says he has learned to provide valuable services to many Dubois County clients. “Keeping any small business running through both good and bad times forces its management to make tough decisions as we deal with clients, employees, insurance, government, rapidly changing technologies, and the like,” he explained. “My engineering and economics degrees from Rose-Hulman have been valuable when making these decisions, and will also help me serve the county well.”

To prepare for the position, Eck has been attending commissioner meetings since January. “This has greatly helped to educate me about the position – I have followed several projects from their beginning to their completion,” he said. “But most importantly I have learned a lot about the people who make our county government work – hopefully the people with whom I will work in the future to continue to move us forward.”

Concerning the future hardships the county could be facing, Eck admitted he is really concerned about the stagnant wages in the middle class and the county’s poverty levels.

In regards to the budget shortfall the county has experienced in recent years, Eck said he is relying on the county departments to work with him to create some solutions for better managing county operations. “I am not a fan of micro-managing. However, I am a fan of brainstorming,” he explained. “I plan to meet with each of the departments, and will share solutions I have learned from the hundreds of business clients with whom I have worked the last 23 years. Starting that dialog and sharing the best practices – both from the outside and between departments – is a sensible low-cost way to look for additional efficiency.”

In regards to future budget issues, Eck says it appears that the state has recognized that Indiana cities and counties have been struggling. He lists the recent Community Crossings Matching Grants program as one way the state has relinquished funding back to the counties and municipalities.

“By using this matching grant based on our LOIT (Local Option Income Tax) funds to offset road and bridge projects, we can minimize the drain from the EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) funds,” he said. “This will allow flexibility for our County Council to firm up shortcomings in the General Fund. I am cautiously optimistic that this – along with continued frugal spending – will be a good first step toward a solution.”

Tax abatement has been utilized by four companies under the county’s ordinance and Eck says he sees the need for some review of the process of awarding those abatements to reduce the impact on local funding.

“The Tax Abatement scoring system was developed while the effects of the 2007-2009 Great Recession were still fresh in our minds. The crisis of this time has passed, and the long-term effect of the abatement process on our county’s tax income needs a closer look,” he said.

He explained that the scoring guidelines need to be reviewed. “Business personal property – the category that includes items such as production equipment – particularly needs consideration,” he added. “If the tax abatement time is too long, the equipment may be fully depreciated, and the future county income from this equipment will be minimal.”

Job creation and retention is another item that is on people’s minds.

“In recruiting new businesses and their jobs to the county, I want to be open to any possibilities that potential businesses might offer. But in addition to providing those jobs, they need to be good corporate residents that pay their fair share of the taxes needed to provide county-provided services,” Eck said. “I hope to join with our cities, towns, and their economic groups to demonstrate that we are united in welcoming quality firms looking to expand into our area.”

He and his wife, the former Marlene Hautsch of Haysville, reside in Boone Township on his Hoosier Homestead Farm. His children are Stephanie Durbin of Pontiac, Illinois, Jennifer Schnieders of Bretzville, and Brandon Eck of Evansville. He has three grandchildren.

Blessinger, 38, is the Republican candidate for the commission seat.

He is a 1996 graduate of Jasper High School who earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Indiana University. During his time in Bloomington, he was inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor Society. He is also a member of Sigma Pi International Fraternity.

From 1998-99, Blessinger gave a year of service with AmeriCorp National Civilian Community Corps.

In 2005, he completed the Real Estate Certification program at the Vincennes University-Jasper Campus. He earned a Level 1 Assessor-Appraiser Designation in 2014 from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. Blessinger was also a graduate of the inaugural Dubois County Leadership Academy in 2011.

In 2001-2002, Blessinger was a third-grade teacher in an inner-city Evansville elementary school. He was a member of the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation Teachers Association.

Blessinger returned to Jasper in 2002 as owner/operator of Shooters Bar & Grill, which he operated until 2005. He is a past member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the National Association of Realtors. In 2008, Blessinger was elected to the office of Dubois County Treasurer. He was re-elected to that office in 2012.

He has also been a member and past president of the Jasper Lions Club and is a member of the Brosmer House Board of Trustees. He serves on the local Selective Service Board, NACo Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, and is a member of the Jasper Outdoor Recreation Association. He is on the executive committee of the Dubois County Substance Abuse Council and has served as treasurer of that organization. Blessinger is also an IHSAA licensed official and enjoys officiating local youth sporting events.

Blessinger said he was driven to seek the commissioner seat because he want the county to continue to improve. “For example, Dubois County has had years of budget shortfalls. This concerns me and many I speak with in the community,” he explained. “We can’t continue to spend at the same level when our revenue has decreased. Successful businesses and people at home can’t operate this way and neither should our local government. Getting our financial house in order is imperative. I know how our county government works, believe in keeping government limited, and understand every dollar spent by the government was earned by our citizens. If elected, this is a serious responsibility I will not take lightly.”

Blessinger says his extensive background and education in addition to the his ties to the community and youth bring a heartfelt and different view to the commission.  “I believe my passion, understanding of how government works, and having the heart of a servant are important qualities I bring to the position. I care deeply about Dubois County and will keep the citizens in mind with every decision I make. I understand every dollar spent by the government was earned by our citizens and I do not take this lightly, he said. “Further, I bring a different perspective to county government as one of very few county department heads under the age of 40. I have a child in our local public schools, officiate youth sports, and participate in several organizations involved with substance abuse issues.”

He added that his experience as the Dubois County Treasurer also gave him experience working with homeowners, farmers and small business owners to find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. “As commissioner, it is important to be able to work with our diverse population for the betterment of our community,” Blessinger said.

Blessinger admitted his concern for the future of the county was the lack of a long-range plan for government infrastructure and government services. “Jasper, Ferdinand and Huntingburg all have a plan to guide their decision-making but Dubois County does not,” he said. “With guidance and input from the citizenry, Dubois County should develop a transparent plan for the future so our goals and future expenditures are defined and can be worked towards. Having such a plan will help keep officeholders accountable, aid in prioritizing county spending and help secure the future of our area for generations to come.”

In regards to the continued deficit the county has faced, Blessinger wants to address the cost of health insurance for the county employees.

“There are hundreds of thousands of dollars in fixed costs and hundreds of thousands in variable costs every year. We can start here,” he said. “The commissioners must put in place policies and provide plans that encourage and incentivize employees to comparatively shop for health services and prescription drugs. Our current plan does little to curb over-utilization of insurance thus county insurance costs are high.”

He admitted that the highly-skilled and dedicated county employees deserve the attractive benefits package but changes can be made that will continue to provide good insurance to employees while reducing costs. “One simple solution is to add a small co-pay to generic prescription drugs,” he said. “I already discussed this idea with a number of employees and they find it reasonable and wise. A simple step like this can save the county $40,000.00 yearly.”

He also said the development of a long range plan would help in addressing the budget deficit. “Planning will help local leaders anticipate the needs of the county and allow priorities to be set,” Blessinger said. “If we have not agreed what the most important issues and projects are, we have no way of making sure they are developed and realized. We shall spend on the highest level priorities and do without non-essentials.”

He added that it is important that local officials understand the implications of State and Federal law changes affecting county revenue sources. “It is not enough to blame the State of Indiana,” he said. “I find it troubling how long it took for our local leaders to address the seriousness of declining revenue over the past five years. Dubois County government officials must improve the way we do business.”

In regards to the county’s tax abatement process, Blessinger says the results in regards to job growth and retention need to justify the benefit to the business. He added that consequences for non-compliance of the company’s tax abatement proposal should be applied consistently.

In regards to attracting higher paying jobs to the area, Blessinger believes it is driven by business in the area. “While county government does not directly create jobs, it can certainly help provide an inviting business environment,” he said. “As a commissioner, I would strongly support infrastructure improvements desirable to businesses including improved roads and high speed internet connectivity.”

The continued support and advocacy for the exceptional healthcare and educational systems is important as well as the fiscal support necessary for the sheriff’s department and community corrections to operate efficiently and effectively to maintain the safety of the community, he added.

I would like voters to know I am passionate about Dubois County. I believe the government exists to serve the community and to do those things the people alone can not do so well by themselves. I will always remember the citizens are the boss and the government should work for them,” he said. “I understand Dubois County faces many challenges including uncertain revenue, deteriorating infrastructure, and a changing population with changing needs. The people of Dubois County want good roads, great schools and a government that lives within its means. I pledge to work toward these objectives every day if elected.”

Chad Blessinger is the son of the late Greg and Linda Blessinger and has one brother, Craig, of Evansville. He and his wife, Lyn, have a son Dylan and daughter Leanne. They reside in Harbison Township.