Letter to the Editor: Spinner best choice for Huntingburg’s future

As a resident of Huntingburg, I will be casting my vote to re-elect Mayor Denny Spinner.

Mayor Spinner has pledged to run a positive campaign, but that is easier said than done. How many politicians have made that promise? He has kept that promise by running a campaign based on integrity and character.

So where is the city under Mayor Spinner’s leadership?

There are extremely positive and exciting things happening in this city. Huntingburg is a Stellar Community (one of only ten in the state). What does that mean? For one, it means the State of Indiana believes we are a community worth investing in.

It also means that a number of citizens, when asked by Mayor Spinner, were willing to come alongside him using their time and talents for the common goal of making Huntingburg better. I, for one, am grateful for their work and am excited about the future. As part of the Stellar application, one project was the old St. Joseph Hospital.

Remember that abandoned eyesore?

Now it is being transformed into senior housing that will meet a growing need, not only in Huntingburg but across Dubois County. Isn’t it nice to see a community wanting to take care of its aging citizens?

Under the leadership of Mayor Spinner, the police department has increased the number of police officers and, reinstated the canine program so that the department is not at the mercy of other departments. The physical improvements at the police station will bring the department in compliance with current state standards for the processing of adult and juvenile offenders. Also in the area of public safety, the fire department is getting an improved building.

The overpass project is beginning to take shape, which has been discussed for almost fifty years. Although some might wonder about the location of the overpass, I for one am glad that a location with the lowest impact on residents was chosen. Can you imagine a thirty-foot overpass through the middle of town?

The mayor has held numerous public forums to receive public input on a number of issues. A Director of Communications and Community Development was hired to open lines of communication with the public and the news media and assist in promoting our great community.

Really, I could go on and on about the work the mayor has done for the city.

However, just as important as what Mayor Spinner has done is what Mayor Spinner has not done. We don’t have city-wide pick-up of trash. Why not? The mayor asked the citizens, and people did not want city-wide trash pick-up, so it didn’t happen.

What about the solar park? Again, the people spoke and didn’t want it in the location requested, so it didn’t happen. This is a unique phenomenon, an elected official listening to the people and basing decisions on what the people want and don’t want.

It has been asserted that under Mayor Spinner there has been a lack of planning in order to maintain roads and sidewalks. The facts just don’t support this assertion. Under Mayor Spinner’s administration, 44 projects have been completed in three years, more than were completed in the previous four years. And there are projects ongoing in 2015 that will be completed this fall.

Additionally, the Spinner administration decided to purchase equipment that is being used by the Street Department and our city employees to do preventative maintenance on streets that will allow them to have a longer life, thus saving the citizens of Huntingburg money. The numbers are based upon documentation obtained from the City Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, which is available to the public upon request.

I want a mayor that thinks not just about today but about the future. Not only mine, but the children of Huntingburg’s future, and the seniors of this communities’ future. I want a mayor who believes in taking action rather than just talking about issues.

I want a mayor who believes in progress, not just maintaining the status quo or settling for fine as it is.

I want Mayor Spinner to finish what he started. That is why on November 3rd, I’m voting to re-elect Denny Spinner as Mayor of Huntingburg.

Sandra K. Bowman
Huntingburg, Ind.