Blog

19 Jan
0

Danny Lundy appointed to Mooresville Park Board

by in News, Appointees, News, News, Press Release

Mooresville Government Center in Mooresville, IN; Tuesday January 17th, 2023

During their regularly schedule meeting on Tuesday January 17th, the Mooresville Town Council appointed Libertarian Danny Lundy to the Mooresville Park Board. Danny previously served on the Mooresville Board of Zoning Appeals and the Mooresville Police Commission. He is also currently running for seat on the Mooresville Town Council.

“I would like the thank the Mooresville Town Council for this opportunity. I am always happy to serve a community that has given so much to me over the years.”

One of the boards first challenges will be hiring a new Parks Superintendent as Kris Wilson has resigned. This challenge is not new for Lundy who previously had to hire a new Police Chief when he served on the Police Commission in 2019.

Park Board members serve a 4-year term and the seat has been vacant for more than a year, so Lundy will serve the remainder of the term until the end of 2026. The purpose of the Park Board is to set policies, oversee park and recreation programs, and plan, acquire, and develop recreation facilities, parks, and open space areas to meet future needs as the community grows.

The Park Board meets on the 2nd Monday of each month.

All meetings are held at 6:30 pm at the Mooresville Park Office. The public is welcome to attend.

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14 Jan
0

Libertarians Select Danny Lundy for Mooresville Town Council Race

by in News, News, Press Release

Libertarians Select Danny Lundy for Mooresville Town Council Race

Morgan County Public Library in Martinsville, IN; 11:00 AM Saturday January 14th, 2023

The Libertarian Party of Morgan County held its annual county convention at the Morgan County Public Library in Martinsville this Saturday January 14th. At this year’s convention the members of the party voted to elect county officers, delegates to the state Libertarian Party convention, and approve a 2023 budget.

Danny Lundy was re-elected to his 3rd term as Chair for the party as well as being elected as the Libertarian Nominee for Mooresville Town Council in District 2. Mr Lundy later thanked the members publicly on Facebook.

“Thank you to Delegates and Membership of the Libertarian Party of Morgan County who voted at the convention today to make me their nominee for Mooresville Town Council, District 2.

I’m looking forward to talking about creative solutions for a more efficient town government that better serves the people of Mooresville.”

Anna Elliott, who was re-elected as the party’s Treasurer unanimously and gave the financial report. The party raised nearly $5,000 in 2022 ($4,936.91).

The Vice-Chair position was filled by Eric Allen. Eric has been serving as the party’s Outreach Director for last 3 years.

Kristin Alexander also had an overwhelming amount of support from the members to continue as Secretary as she too was re-elected to her position unanimously.

The group also heard from gust speaker Tonya Hudson, who is running for the Libertarian Party of Indiana’s Vice-Chair position in March. She wants to work on building up stronger county affiliates who can share in kind of success seen in Morgan County.

The members also approved a 2023 budget, selected several delegates to the State Convention, and announced a wide range of goals they have set for 2023.

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09 Nov
0

Luke Jackson Becomes First Libertarian to be Elected in Morgan County

by in News, News, Press Release

Luke Jackson Becomes First Libertarian to be Elected in Morgan County

Although the School Board is a non-partisan office, Luke Jackson, who is a member in good standing of the Libertarian Party of Morgan County, was elected to the Martinsville School Board in District 5. Luke is the first ever elected Libertarian in Morgan County and is looking forward to serving his community on the school board. 

“I’m honored and humbled by so many who supported me throughout this process.  I look forward to the next four years of seeking to listen to and represent caregivers of the kids in the MSD of Martinsville district.”

Kristin Alexander sets a new record!

Kristin Alexander ran a vigorous campaign for Madison Township Board and earned 19.2% of the vote. That is the highest percentage for a Libertarian candidate for Township Board in Morgan County history. Kristin intends to continue pushing for more accountability in her township government. 

Jeff Maurer sets a new record!

The Libertarian Secretary of State candidate Jeff Maurer broke the vote total and percentage records for a Libertarian SoS candidate in Morgan County. Jeff earned 11.88% and received 2,508 votes. The highest percentage for any county in the state!

John Schick sets a new record!

The Libertarian State Auditor candidate John Schick broke the vote total and percentage records for a Libertarian State Auditor candidate in Morgan County. John earned 6.01% and received 1,266 votes.

Thank You Morgan County

Thank you to everyone who voted Libertarian this year. We could not continue to grow and achieve these gains without you. 

With a record breaking 2022 behind us and another potentially record breaking year ahead of us, there has never been a better time to join the Libertarian Party of Indiana. Your membership helps the local Morgan County party greatly and we’d love to have you join us.

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31 Aug
0

Community Taxpayers Raise Questions About Madison Township

by in News, Articles, News

Community Taxpayers Raise Questions About Madison Township

August 23, 2022 the Community Taxpayers Association met for their regularly scheduled quarterly meeting.

On the agenda was a review of the association’s fund raising, a discussion regarding Madison Township, reports from all other townships, Morgan County, the Mooresville Consolidated School Board, and the treasurer’s report.

The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the special meeting in July. Virginia Perry gave the treasurer’s report. She noted that the iPad fundraiser had raised enough to cover the expense, with a small profit for the association.

The board members opened discussion about fundraisers, both past and future. It was agreed upon that Virginia Perry would organize another dine to donate at Applebee’s, as it had been successful in the past, to be announced at a later date. Dr. Larry Moore, board president, spoke about the iPad raffle that has been done at Old Settlers the past 2 years. He stated that he found most people uninterested and suggested a different incentive such as gift cards, or a 50/50 raffle with a cash prize. The board agreed that more discussion would take place at future meetings.

The board opened the floor to Sgt. At Arms – Larry Ellis for a discussion regarding ongoing concerns within Madison Township. Mr. Ellis had several concerns he wanted to bring before the board. Mr. Ellis advised there are currently 4 Madison Township apparatus out of service, and that he has seen station 31 closed several times due to understaffing. Concerns were expressed that residents might find themselves unprotected in the event of a fire. Mr. Ellis also advised that there has been a high rate of overtime pay, due to the understaffing, and estimated that Madison Township could pay out $90,000.00 more than was originally budgeted. He suggested solutions to these problems, that he hopes to implement, should he be elected trustee in November.

Mr. Ellis also spoke about contracts that have been made with the township. Specifically, a contract with Kent Concrete, llc. This company has pushed back their start date, and since asked for partial payment up front. He believes that may be illegal according to state statutes that require payment after services rendered. Mr. Ellis suggested that they pay close attention to this contract due to issues with a prior contract for roofing work to be done on the fire stations. $150,000.00 was paid out to Tim Haynes, of Haynes Roofing, on December 14, 2021 before services were rendered or materials delivered. It was Mr. Ellis’s understanding that the execution of the roofing contract has been handed over to the township’s law firm due to lack of communication from the contractor because it has been over 9 months since payment was made. Mr. Ellis pointed out that the financial burden of the need for legal services will fall on taxpayers. He expressed frustration that this could have been avoided if the initial contracting process had been handled appropriately in 2021.

Dr. Moore asked what the association could do about it and, after lengthy discussion, a vote was taken to have Dr. Moore draft a letter outlining the general concerns of the board and disseminate that letter to several news stations, the SBOA, the DGLF, and the ISP White Collar Crime Division. The letter will also be sent out to those on the Community Taxpayers Association email list.

County Commissioner Don Adams presented a report for Morgan County. He stated that a decision had been made with regards to the courthouse and administration building in Martinsville. He indicated that there would be a tax increase due to these improvements. He also mentioned the Bicentennial Celebration on September 24, 2022 in Waverly, and some additional projects that are still in early phases.

Virginia Perry gave a report for Brown Township. She mentioned that the second meeting of the board would be held the following week to set the 2023 budget. She felt there should have been more meetings this year – but that the president of the Brown Township Advisory board expressed he was too busy. She stated that the board president handles IT business for Brown Township, and that the third board member is an employee of the board president.

Superintendent Randy Taylor presented a report for Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation. He highlighted that Mooresville was able to start with 100% of positions filled, even with most districts seeing struggles in that area.  He mentioned that enrollment is up a bit, but those numbers tend to fluctuate at the beginning of the year, and that we are seeing higher transfer rates than Center Grove or Plainfield. He said that Dr. Jake Allen had just finished up the budget to be sent off to the state and noted that tax rates for the school board would not increase, and that he believed they had not been raised in 14 years. He congratulated teachers and support staff for a great start off to the year.

The new business conducted was setting the next quarterly meeting for November 22, 2022 at 6:30pm, and voting to renew the board’s insurance as soon as possible.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00pm

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04 Aug
0

Reader believes transparency is responsibility of elected official

by in News, Letter to the Editor, News

Madison Meetings Matter

On June 23rd, 2022 the Madison Township Advisory Board held a public meeting. At that meeting at least one agenda item was tabled; and parties from all sides agreed another meeting needed to be set to follow up. The board agreed to meet on July 21st, 2022 at 7pm.
By July 21st, there had been no notice posted on the door of the fire station, on the website, on social media, or in the newspaper.
Due to the lack of communication from the township, concerned citizens instead had to play telephone to notify each other that the meeting was canceled. No alternate dates have been announced.
I, and many others, were hoping for an update on the now 9 month long venture to get the roofing repairs made to the fire stations, as well as the potential sale of an old engine (which was needed and used since the last meeting).
The principled thing to do is set meetings at regular intervals in order to inform how tax dollars are spent, and answer any questions. This will help avoid any confusion and promotes cooperation with the public. Accountability and transparency should be the responsibility of elected officials – not the public citizens.

~ By Kristin Alexander | Letter to the Editor | Published July 30, 2022 in The Reporter Times

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15 Apr
0

Why you won’t see Libertarians on your primary ballot

by in Newsletter

Why you won’t see Libertarians on your primary ballot

Per Indiana law, a political party must get a minimum of 10 percent in the Secretary of State’s race to participate in the general primaries. We must get at least 2 percent to maintain ballot access — which we have done every year since 1994. So, voting Libertarian for Secretary of State is a vote to continue giving Hoosier voters more choices. This year our Secretary of State candidate if Jeff Maurer. He’s running to ensure our elections are safe and secure. He wants you to get a receipt with your vote so you can verify your vote counted the way you intended.

Our candidates are selected by delegates at convention, at no cost to taxpayers. For county and local races, we are officially nominated at county conventions. For example, Kristin Alexander has already received the Libertarian nomination to run for Madison Township board in this year’s election from the Libertarian Party of Morgan County. Other higher-level candidates were selected by delegates at our state convention on March 5th, like James Sceniak for U.S. Senate.

Do not be dissuaded by the taxpayer funded primary process. Libertarians will be on your ballot in November, and Hoosiers will have principled options as a result.

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09 Apr
0

2022 Madison Township Board Candidate Forum

by in Campaign, Interview

2022 Madison Township Board Candidate Forum

The Community Taxpayers Association held a candidates forum on April 9th, 2022.

Kristin Alexander was the sole Libertarian invited to attend along with her four Republican challengers, but only two of them showed up to field questions from taxpayers.

  • Kristin Alexander: Libertarian
  • Jim Johnson: Republican
  • Nelson Hoggart: Republican
  • Ronnie McClure: Republican (absent)
  • Scott McDonough: Republican (absent, current trustee)

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03 Mar
0

Anna Elliott Selected as BZA Chair

by in News, Appointees, News

Anna Elliott Selected as BZA Chair

Board of Zoning Appeals

The Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals heard two variance requests during its Tuesday meeting.

Michael Ksenak, an attorney, appeared on behalf of M&M Real Properties, LLC, which sought a variance to run a semi-tractor and trailer sales dealership on a property that is zoned I1-Light Industrial (LI). The three-acre parcel is located at 420 S Ind. 39, just north of the railroad tracks.

The project requires a variance because it technically falls under commercial use, city attorney Dale Coffey said.

A group of neighbors expressed concerns about the dealership’s impact on traffic and property values.

“This isn’t a used car lot where people are coming in,” he said. “It’s a very specialized type of product.”

And city attorney Dale Coffey said he believed the area is primed for development in the next several years, especially once the city completes construction of a new levee, expected in 2024.

“This area most likely will see a different focus,” Coffey said. “I can’t sit here and speak to what the zoning will be, but I could definitely see more development happening in this area. Bringing this property back to life probably increases values rather than decreases values.”

The board unanimously approved the request.

In other business, the board denied a variance request from Storage Express Holdings LLC, which was looking to add 18 movable storage buildings to its site on Industrial Drive in southeast Martinsville.

The decision came after the board heard concerns from the Martinsville Fire Department, which has battled two separate storage fires in the past year.

The developer’s plans would have placed storage units one foot away from an adjoining property line, putting a neighboring garage at risk should a fire break out, Martinsville Fire Marshall Charlie Fraker said. 

The board also elected its officers for the 2022 year. Anna Elliot was voted chair, Katie Barnes was voted vice chair and Marilyn Siderewicz was voted secretary.

The next meeting of the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at Martinsville City Hall, 59 S. Jefferson St.

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21 Feb
0

Mooresville Plan Commission approves plats for two subdivisions

by in News, Appointees, News

Mooresville Plan Commission approves plats for two subdivisions

MOORESVILLE — The Mooresville Plan Commission approved primary plats for two planned subdivisions during its Thursday meeting.

Michael and Shannon Skyles, owners of Bunkerhill, LLC, recently purchased two adjoining parcels of farmland totaling 55 acres near the intersection of East Lindley Road/County Line Road 1050 and North Bunker Hill Road in Brown Township.

John Larrison, project manager for Holloway Engineering, appeared before the plan commission on behalf of the property owners to request two primary plat approvals related to the project.

The first request was for a primary plat for a 39-acre parcel at North Bunker Hill Road. The property will be divided into four lots to be known as the James Creek subdivision, with three new homes being built, each of them on roughly five-acre lots.

Paula Fulp, who lives just north of the property, asked Larrison who would maintain the lots once they are sold.

“What would keep them from adding a mobile home and whatnot on their property?” Fulp asked.

Larrison said there are a number of covenants and restrictions associated with the subdivision, including that no trailers, mobile homes, modular homes or log homes be permitted on any lot.

“All buyers in the subdivision buy into these protective covenants because it’s what they want,” he said.

The commission unanimously approved the request. Commission chair Mike Young was absent.

The second request was for a primary plat for a smaller parcel directly to the east on East Lindley Road. That piece of land will be divided into four lots to be known as the Schrute Farms subdivision.

“These are very large parcels for country-setting type homes,” Larrison said.

The commission unanimously approved the request.

After the meeting, the Skyles’ talked with Fulp and two other neighbors who were concerned about the loss of farmland.

“We don’t want to build a lot of houses,” Michael Skyles told them. “This will hopefully be a wonderful little community.”

Rezoning approved 

The commission approved a rezoning request from Keyswap Realty, LLC, which owns the vacant lot at 136 E. Harrison St.

Commissioners unanimously approved the request to rezone the property from I-2 zoning to R-2 residential.

New officers elected

In light of Morgan County Commissioners’ plans to dissolve the two-mile buffer zone around the town of Mooresville, plan commission vice chair Jeffrey Dieterlen said he and Young were looking to step down from their leadership roles and hand them off to other members of the commission.

The three county commissioners recently agreed to hire Greenfield-based law office Brand & Morelock to advise the board as it plans to get rid of the buffer zones.

“Given the county is currently in the process of having buffer zones returned back to their jurisdiction, we feel like we want to be present as a part of that transition for areas that we represent, and work with the county and town to do that,” Dieterlen said.

Buffer zones are areas around cities and towns that give the municipality planning and zoning jurisdiction. Residents in these areas are not considered citizens of the municipality, and they have long complained to commissioners about their lack of representation in local government.

Young and Dieterlen both live in the Mooresville buffer zone and are the two county commissioner-appointed members on the plan commission.

The commission unanimously approved David Saddler as its next chair, Mark Taylor as vice chair and Tammy VanHook as secretary.

The next meeting of the Mooresville Plan Commission is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Mooresville Government Center, 4 E. Harrison St.

Board of Zoning Appeals

The Mooresville Board of Zoning Appeals held a very brief meeting Thursday night.

Board members Neal Allman and Jennifer Meador were present, along with board member David Saddler, who participated via phone. Board chair Mike Young was absent, as was board member Charles McGuire.

The board approved a variance request from a property owner on North County Line Road looking to put add an extension onto her garage.

Board attorney Chou-il Lee said he found a draft set of rules of procedures for both the board of zoning appeals and the plan commission. Lee said members of both governing bodies can decide whether or not to officially adopt the rules at their next meetings.

The board of zoning appeals held off on electing officers for the year until their next meeting due to two board members being absent.

The next meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Mooresville Government Center, 4 E. Harrison St.

~ By Pete Blanchard | Reporter | Published February 11, 2022 in The Reporter Times

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03 Feb
0

Campaigns in Morgan County file 2021 finance reports

by in News, Articles, Campaign, News

Candidates have been busy in recent weeks filing for the upcoming election for a number of available seats at the local, state and federal level.

Something candidates have also been doing recently is raising money for their respective campaigns.

The following is a listing of contributions and expenditures amongst several locals running, or who currently fill a seat up for election this year, in the 2022 campaign cycle.

Campaigns

Dustin Stanley for Morgan County (Mooresville Town Council District 5) reported no balance at beginning of 2021, $5,000 in contributions, $0 in expenses, $5,000 in bank at end of 2021.

The Friends of (Morgan County Sheriff) Rich Myers reported having around $10,027 at the beginning of 2021. It reported no contributions or expenses for 2021 leaving them a balance of $10,027 at the end of 2021. The campaign does report having an outstanding loan of $8,000.

The Committee to Elect Lester Duncan for Mooresville Town Council District 1 reported not having a balance on Jan. 1 and not receiving any contributions of having any expenses for the year.

Tammy Parker for County Clerk reported no funds at the beginning of 2021. Parker’s campaign received around $2,660 during the year, had expenses of around $770 leaving the campaign a balance of around $1,889 at the end of 2021. Contributors included James and Marlyn Parker, $500; Roger T. Coffin, $1,000 as well as Ernest and Dorothy Dalton, $1,000. Expenses included purchasing shirts, signs, and other advertisement services.

The Committee to Elect Kristin Alexander (Madison Township Advisory Board) showed $0 funds on Jan. 1, 2021. The committee received around $2,365 in contributions, had expenses of around $195 leaving them a balance of around $2,170 at the end of 2021. Contributors included Jared Hall, $125; Jay Sollman, $100; Mark Rutherford, $150; Chris Gault, $220; Danny Lundy, $150; Todd Singer, $155; Paul Dijak-Robinson, $500 and Neighbors for Bob Starkey, $100.

Chip Keller for Morgan County Council District 1 reported having $0 in the bank on Jan. 1, 2021. The campaign reported receiving $2,000 in contributions and had expenses for around $1,847 leaving it a balance of around $152. Contributions came from the candidate. Expenses include the Fall Foliage Festival for $500 and advertising.

The Committee to Elect Kenny Hale (Morgan County Commissioner) had a balance of around $1,641 on Jan. 1, 2021. The campaign received around $4,500 in contributions, and expenses of around $216 leaving it a balance of around $5,925 at the end of 2021. Contributors include Echo Lake LLC, $1,000 and Friends of Ryan Goodwin, $1,500. Expenses were for advertising.

Kelly Alcala for Morgan County (Morgan County Council District 3) had around $75 on Jan. 1, 2021. The campaign received around $40 and reported $25 in expenses leaving the campaign with a balance of around $90 on Jan. 1, 2022. It also reported $317 in debit.

Melissa (Greene) for Morgan County (Council District 2) reported $0 on hand on Jan. 1, 2021. They campaign reported contributions of $5,500 and expenses of around $3,222 leaving it a balance of around $2,278 on Jan. 1, 2022. Contributors include Chris Sheets, $500; Craig Fenneman, $500; Linda Barnett, $500; Gary Hood; $500 and HD Green Enterprises, $2,500. Greene loaned campaign $1,000. Expenses were for advertising.

Committee to Elect Laura Elliott (Morgan County Council District 2) reported $0 at the beginning of 2021. The campaign received around $3,700 in contributions, had around $3,700 in expenses leaving a balance of $0 at the end of 2021. The committee reported having an outstanding loan of around $1,000. Contributions came from Intelli-Leap, LLC for sign design and Website work. Valued at $2,700. Expenses were for advertising.

Political parties

The Morgan County Democratic Central Committee showed it had a beginning balance of $6,589 in 2021. The committee received $2,700 in contributions through the year, had expenses of around $5,308 which left them a balance on Dec. 31 of around $3,351. Some of the contributors were Neil DeLapp, $624; Dianna and Robert Jennings, $86; Dale and Danny Drake, $222; Gail Featherston, $121; David Ewers, $77; Stephanie Lopossa, $116; Colleen Springate, $288. Expenses included costs of booth rental at the Morgan County Fair, Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival and Old Settlers Festival in Mooresville as well as office expenses and costs for internet services.

Libertarian Party of Morgan County began 2021 with around $402 in the bank. The party had around $6,017 in contributions and expenses of around $5,041 leaving them with a balance of around $1,378 on Dec. 31. Some contributors were Micah Haynes, $200; Patti Gault, $300 (including raffle prize); Ron Stinson, $450; Game revenue from Pioneer Park, $425;  J&L Online Marketing, $1,500 (for website); Libertarian Party National Committee, $1,000. Expenses included Libertarian Party of Indiana, $225; Mooresville Police Department – K9 Fundraiser, $425; J&L Online Marketing -develop website- $1,500; Wristband Resources, $539; 4 Imprint, $339 and Churches in Mission, $250.

Other information

The board found several minor mistakes on the reports and will request the candidates come in and make corrections.

Board members approved the inventory report of election equipment that must be sent to the state.

The board has not scheduled another meeting for this year. Morgan County Clerk Stephanie Elliott said they will probably hold a meeting when they do the check on the election machines.

This year’s primary election will be held on Tuesday, May 3.

Candidates have until noon on Friday, Feb. 4 to sign up for the upcoming election.

~ By Keith Rhoades | R-T Correspondent | Published January 28, 2022 in The Reporter Times

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