Jasper Mayoral Forum, Part 1

Jasper’s mayoral forum opened Tuesday night at Vincennes University Jasper Campus with a welcome from VUJC dean Dr. Alan Johnson, where he stated that the night’s goal was to give Jasper’s residents a better idea of the two candidates’ positions on important governmental issues.

The event resulted in a respectful and positive-thinking discussion, mostly centered on economic matters, though when contentious issues were raised, the candidates preferred to provide politically neutral answers. The audience reactions seemed to consist of polite attentiveness and even approving applause for both candidates.

Before the event began the order of speaking was determined by a draw from a deck of playing cards. Mr. Terry Seitz drew the higher card and was chosen to speak and be interviewed by the panel first.

Mr. Terry Seitz is the Republican candidate and owner of Intercom, a business solutions consultancy dealing with matters of business leadership and workforce development. Seitz emphasized the importance of a mayor’s role as a visionary, the “CEO of the city.” He expressed a desire to challenge both the city government and residents to help make Jasper a better place, not being content with current prosperity.

Intending to reverse Jasper’s trend of losing residents, he expounded on the need to bolster existing companies while drawing in new business from entrepreneurs and businesses wishing to relocate. He also felt progress could be spurred by improving the efficiency of city departments and by possibly eliminating obstructive ordinances.

The second segment consisted of free-ranging questions from representatives of the local news media posed to Mr. Seitz. First off, Seitz was asked to state his top priorities as a potential mayor. He responded by declaring his focus would be on jobs, youth, families, and Jasper’s unclaimed potential, stating a primary goal would be to market the city both to its residents and beyond its borders, in an attempt to get citizens interested and bring in new business.

When asked how he would succeed in this area where others may have fallen short, Seitz stressed that he would facilitate rather than obstruct business tax incentives, hoping to expand the toolbox available to the city when attempting to attract job-creators. Following a question regarding his qualifications for the mayoral position, Seitz recounted his background in marketing, communication, leadership development, and general experience working with executives, which has given him an insight into the decisions and pitfalls they face. He felt this gives him an edge with relating to business leaders he would deal with in trying to bring their companies to Jasper. He cited a specific example of when his consultancy helped a business with multiple owners overcome the difficulties in the transition to a single-owner model.

In regards to how he would promote Jasper as a desirable business locale, Seitz stated the importance of knowing your audience, which led him to assemble a diverse Jasper marketing team to help him identify target industries, including ones that might not necessarily be in competition with existing local businesses. He also hoped to find ways to bring families into the area, including youth who had moved away from Jasper but might like to return to raise a family. He reiterated his desire to eliminate red-tape that might be a hindrance to business, including the much-maligned Jasper sign ordinance.

Seitz was then asked whether he planned to support or obstruct the city lease to renovate the power plant to partially run on biomass combustion. Seitz neglected to give a direct answer regarding his personal views, reminding the audience that the lease would be considered a legally binding document and thus would be much harder to rescind than a common city ordinance, believing this removed much of the matter from the mayor’s official purview.

Another much-debated issue was raised in the form of the ongoing discussion on what to do about the Jasper library. Seitz declined to say whether he was explicitly for or against building a larger structure, but stated that he firmly felt such an issue, involving all of the Jasper populace, should be left for the people to decide in the coming referendum.

Finally, Seitz was asked to define what he means when referring to Jasper’s “unclaimed potential,” in response to which he stated a belief that Jasper needs to move forward and join other parts of the state that have long ago adopted a more modern, proactive approach to promoting business and economic growth. Jasper, he feels, needs to live up to its role as the economic center of eight counties and realize that its “best days are yet to come.”

Next up was Mr. John Burger, the Democratic candidate and owner of Burger Farms, a local livestock producer. Burger claimed his motivation for seeking mayoral office was based on a love for Jasper, his lifelong home. With extensive experience in running a company and creating jobs, Burger feels his ability to make tough decisions and deal with personnel has prepared him to deal with both city employees and local business leaders. Burger described his past public service, including his help in establishing business tax abatements at the county level. As mayor, he declared he would eliminate red tape obstructing business, champion VUJC’s coming advanced manufacturing training center, and help the city and Chamber of Commerce work together.

Burger’s turn before the interview panel began with the question of how he intended to translate his past experience as a business owner into the mayor’s office. Burger responded by saying that private companies and municipalities face many of the same adversities, decisions, marketing challenges, and personnel concerns.

Asked whether he supported the business tax abatements recently approved for Jasper, Burger expressed approval for the plan and a desire to start a fund that could provide money for start-up businesses. “Jasper,” he said, “could well be the home of the next Steve Jobs.”

The topic then turned to the proposed biomass plant, and Burger was asked if he felt the plant’s potential benefits outweighed the health risks that might be posed by the combustion of miscanthus grass. Like Seitz, Burger skirted the issue and neglected to state a clear position, though he expressed an intent to work with IDEM to minimize hazards should the plant become established. When asked how he would handle the issue when and if the city should have to address it again in a public fashion, Burger stated that it would be premature of him to say, though he promised he would consider every angle of the debate.

Burger was then asked what he felt needed to be done about the vacant, unused business buildings and warehouses taking up space around town. Burger stated he felt that any comprehensive jobs plan must include provisions to deal with these locales, possibly exploring ways to renovate them and make their use an attractive option to other businesses.

Given his past political career that involved both popular and unpopular decisions, Burger was asked what effect the public’s response has had on him. Burger summarized his outlook by saying that political criticism hasn’t changed him as a person, and that he considers himself successful if he can honestly feel he has done his best to do the right thing.

When asked if the proposal for a much larger library was a necessity or overkill, Burger took no firm position, declaring that on this subject he had but one vote like everyone else. Burger did state that he felt the time was good for building, given both low interest rates and an abundance of eager construction companies. However, he also expressed concerns about saddling the taxpayers, some of whom are on a fixed income, with additional burdens.

Following that, Burger was asked how he felt Jasper might take advantage of the new I-69 going to the west of Jasper. While suggesting that 56 connecting Jasper and Petersburg might be upgraded, Burger also promised he would lobby hard to ensure Dubois got its fair share of taxes back from the state, instead of simply being a “donor county.” He also briefly raised the possibility that 231 might be curved around to join up with the new I-69.

Lastly, Burger was asked to name his personal heroes, to which he nominated two people: his mother, for raising five children and teaching him right from wrong, and his wife, for helping raise his children and always “having his back.”

The event held a six minute intervention before proceeding to the audience and Facebook question portion of the night’s events. This section will be covered in Part 2.