Tag Archives: elections

Commissioner Meeting Notes, Feb 5, 2025

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This post at Brown County Matters

Agenda Commissioner Meeting Feb 5, 2025 

Audio of the Meeting

  • Habitat for Humanity Proposed Project
    • 47.626 Acre Parcel
      • Divide the parcel into a maximum of 22 lots. Construct a maximum of 22 new homes in 7 years.
      • 3 Homes/Year (Years 1 – 6);  4 Homes in Year 7
      • Avg 1200 – 1500 sq ft per home
      • 3-Bed/2 Bath OR 4-Bed/2 Bath
      • Dependent upon selected families
      • Avg Appraisal Estimate: $240k – $300k +/- 
      • Approximately 1,350’ of “Old County Road #2” be added back onto the Brown County Highway Department’s roadway inventory.

Appointments – Boards and Commissions

Correction:  Letter of interest for board and commissioner appointments.  Andi Bartels applied for a CVC position – not the RDC.

  • CVC – Andy Szakaly and Jimmie Tilton – appointed by the previous Board of Commissioners and chose to remain on the CVC. Previous commissioners did not advertise the openings or consider all those who applied.
  • RDC: Jeremiah Reichmann, Chris Schneider, Alyn Brown
    • Correction: Andi Bartels applied for a CVC position – not the RDC.
  • Alcohol Beverage Commission  (ABC) – Appointment of Mathew Nelson.
  • Community Corrections – No applicants
  • Parks and Rec Board – Kyle Wagers
  • Property Tax Board of Appeals (PTBOA) – No applicants. Desired capabilities include experience in property appraisals.

Superintendant Report.BCHD Monthly Report

Brown County Republican GOP, Mar 1, 2025 Elections

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Indiana Secretary of State – “Who’s On The Ballot” – Identify your District, Precinct, Township …
 
 
Your Precinct and District? The county GIS Map has a “layer” that identifies voter precincts. To identify Commissioner Districts, select “Index” and then County Commissioner Districts. 

Jan 31, 2025.  This post at Brown County Matters

Local Politics. Do you know the names of your PC and VPC? Do they live in your precinct? What happens on March 1, 2025?

There are 11 political precincts in Brown County. Republican Precinct Committeemen (PC) are elected in the primary in presidential election years. The Democrat elections for their precinct committeemen are in the off-years.

Elections for new officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) in the Brown County GOP are March 1, 2025. Precinct (PC) and Vice Precinct Committee (VPC) members are allowed to vote.

The Chair can and does appoint PC and VPCs” to fill vacancies, and these individuals do not have to live in the precinct. Although PCs can select their VPCs, many allow the Chair to make the appointments, thus stacking the deck to help control who gets elected
.
Vacancies – Elected Offices. Only PCs vote to fill a vacancy in an elected office. Blake Wolpert received 7/11 votes to fill the Commissioner Vacancy when Chuck Braden resigned.

So what? The Chair can influence who should run for office, be appointed to boards and commissions, who should even get county government jobs, and …. be considered “In Good Standing.” 🙂

Clark Responds to Ruling by Region 9 Republican Committee

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Last updated: 02/09/2025

A slightly shorter version – without the references, of the post below was submitted to the Brown County Democrat for the Feb 4, 2025  edition. The Democrat limits submissions to 800 words.   Clark Response to Region 9 Decision.

This post shared at Brown County Matters.

Clark Responds to Ruling by Region 9 Republican Committee
The more extended version with references

After years of attending county government meetings and documenting issues, concerns, and challenges, I chose to run for Commissioner to contribute to improving the quality of services provided to Brown County citizens. I outlined my motivation and strategy on my campaign website, TimJClarkforCommissioner.com.

One of the challenges that I saw was the current leadership of the Brown County Republican Party, which is headed by Party Chair Mark Bowman. The one-party monopoly on power in Brown County leads to a centralization of power. This power can be abused and used to dictate policy by influencing (1) who will be supported as a candidate, (2) who can be selected to boards and commissions, (3) who can keep and get county government jobs, and (4) who should be appointed to fill a vacancy in an elected office.

My candidacy was challenged by Bowman, claiming “Incomplete & untrue candidate forms submitted. Not affiliated with the Republican Party.”  The Brown County Election Board refused to consider Bowman’s argument that I was not in good standing and confirmed that I met the criteria to run as a Republican.

Bowman’s contention was that I was an Independent as opposed to a Republican who has an independent mind. An Independent voter would include someone who votes for the best candidate despite political affiliation. In my case, I have consistently primarily voted for Republicans but have also very occasionally voted for a non-Republican who may have had a more conservative position on issues than the Republican candidate.

It is interesting that Mark Bowman shares this philosophy. In an interview after the 2018 county election, where Republicans swept the elections, he was interviewed and confirmed his support for independent voters:

    • “Even as a party chairman, Bowman said he doesn’t like to see so many voters choosing the straight-party option. To him, that shows voters lack knowledge about the candidates. The choice listed from one’s own party isn’t always automatically the best choice for the job, he said.”  “GOP SWEEP Nov 14, 2018, Brown County Democrat.

After I won the May primary, Bowman publicly supported an Independent Candidate – Greg Taggart, to challenge my candidacy in violation of Rule 1-25. Taggart has stated that he was a Republican running as an Independent. Taggart also identified that he was an independent voter:  In his closing comments at  the  League of Women Voters Candidate Forum, on Sept 21, 2024, he stated, 

    • “I am not a Republican, I am not a Democrat, do not put me in a category. … if you want to say I am a Republican, I am not that…” 

In December, I filed a complaint with the 9th District Republican Committee against Bowman for violating Rule 1-25. I was supported in the complaint by Rich Stanley, Charles Shaw, and Ben Phillips. Rule 1-25 states: “The term ‘Republican in Good-Standing’ shall be defined as a Republican who supports Republican nominees and who does not actively or openly support another candidate against a Republican nominee.” Many voters commonly choose to vote for the candidate that they believe would best serve the community. However, if you are in a party leadership position or an elected official, you should respect the documented rules of the State Party.  

On January 23, 2025, the 9th District Republican Committee held a hearing on my complaint. However, at the hearing, the District Officers ignored the arguments that I raised in my complaint. Instead, the District Officers put me on trial along with Rich Stanley without telling us that we were now the ones on trial instead of Bowman. We did not really even try to defend ourselves at the hearing because we had no idea that we were actually the ones being tried. We only realized what was happening after the hearing was complete and the District Officers issued their decision. In the decision, the District Officers dismissed my complaint against Bowman (which they never seriously considered). But they went even further than that by punishing me and Rich Stanley with bans preventing either of us from running as a Republican for a period of five years. Although the District Officers have no power to remove me from my current position as Commissioner of Brown County, if I had the desire to run for reelection in four years, I would not be able to run as a Republican if the Brown County Election Board supports this judgment.  (Reference: “Clark’s complaint against GOP county chair Bowman rejected”, by Dave Stafford, Brown County Democrat, Jan 27, 2025.)

The Region 9 Committee’s decision will be appealed. It will be interesting to see if the State Republican Party follows this illogical and deeply flawed decision.

At the hearing, Amanda Lowry, Chair of the Region committee, explained the unwritten rules that governed the committee’s decision:

  1. “The Republican Party is a Private Club with Rules.”
  2. You are NOT a Republican in good standing if you criticize the party or its members, vote, or donate money to a non-republican candidate—at any time in a person’s life.
  3. The rules can be selectively applied – as they were in this case.

Given this Region 9 criteria, President Trump could be considered a Republican “not” in Good Standing.

While we wait for a decision on our appeal, please remember that the election of new officers for the Brown County Republican Party is on March 1, 2024. The election is for the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. If you want to see a positive change in leadership, contact your precinct and vice precinct committee members.

Tim Clark, Richard Stanley, Charles Shaw, Ben Phillips

County Council Special Meeting Notes, Jan 9, 2025. New financial advisor, Election for Council President.

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rock em sock em robots

County Council Special Meeting Notes, Jan 9, 2025. New financial advisor, Election for Council President.  

Note: Commissioners are the executives of the county and are responsible for vision and policy. The Council is in charge of the money.

“And in this corner:”  Do we need a Patton (Kemp) or an Eisenhower (Huett), the Marines (Kemp) or the local community organizer (Huett)?

An interesting meeting with a few fireworks and a smart bomb or two that may be boiled down to the campaign for the election of the next Council President and the financial viability of the county. 

The next Council Meeting is Jan 21, 2025 at 5:30.  Should be pretty interesting. Tickets are still available (satire).

The play-by-play 
This post at Brown County Matters

New Financial Advisor.

The council contracted with Reedy Financial Group, which can provide additional support to help identify the systemic improvements needed for the county to better manage our finances and budget.  Kemp led this initiative.  I participated in the interviews and am confident the commissioners can get the help we need to include managing capital improvements and better management reports. 

The county is going through a major financial transformation. Over at least the past 10-15 years, the budget was developed with a one-year perspective. It is pretty easy to submit a balanced budget with the state: Overestimate revenues, underestimate expenses, and jump through hoops over the next year to cover needed and unplanned expenses. These could average anywhere from 400-600K per year. Over the last few years, the Rainy Day fund was reduced from around 2.5 million to as low as 70K, and money was drawn from other funds as well. This situation contributed to reducing the county’s credit rating, 

As a result of COVID-19, the county received an influx of federal dollars that masked, if not exacerbated, our financial challenges.

Kemp led the charge to develop and get agreement on the following goals:

  1. Maintain 15% cash reserve balances 
  2. Annual expenses not to exceed 90% of revenues
  3. Highway and Health Departments are required to operate within their own budgets 
  4. Rainy day fund balance of $2.5 million 
  5. Health fund 4700 with a reserve balance of $1 million 

Capital Improvement.  County elected leadership (council and commissioners) have refused in the past to develop a capital improvement plan for needed repairs and replacements.  Commissioner Sanders started work on developing this plan, starting with identifying the property that we are insuring.

PLAN, WHAT PLAN? A five-year comprehensive “financial plan” was developed a few years ago  (by the commissioner’s office) at the cost of 30K that sat on a shelf and, after one or two annual updates, was abandoned. I never heard it discussed at a council or commissioner meeting.

CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?  The county routinely borrows money (3 million last time, 4 million last year) to cover capital improvement expenses. The debt is funded through higher property taxes, and since the tax rate remains relatively the same (referred to as tax neutral), taxpayers do not notice any changes.

POWER Corrupts. We have a one-party monopoly on political power, and the lack of competition contributed to the election of a few candidates who did not have the passion, interest, time, or insight to understand what was going on. The centralized power in the hands of the few influences who can run for office, get selected for boards and commissions, and even get a county government job. Those who go along to get along can have jobs for life and avoid being shunned or blackballed.   

ELECTION – COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Jim Kemp started his term on council in 2022 and has a financial background. He may be one of the few elected officials who understand the concept of modified accruals.  The county government operates on a cash (fund) accounting vs. accrual basis. Accrual basis accounting is the common method in the private sector. Modified accruals support identifying the expected expenses in the following years.

For instance, assume you have a 5-year, 500,000 contract that is payable at 100,00 a year. The budget will only show the one-year liability – not that you still have another 400K to go.

GOALS. Kemp actually identified specific financial goals in his campaign strategy. I am not aware that another councilman has ever identified a “DOCUMENTED strategy but some can talk it to death.  Anecdotes and hyperbole are the strategies chosen by a few. If you are a preferred candidate of the local GOP, you get elected without breaking a sweat or being held accountable for results.

The exception to this situation would include Commissioner Ron Sanders and myself. We are definitely not on the preferred candidates list.

Kemp also developed a financial strategy for the county; No one questions his commitment, competence, and passion for getting us on solid financial ground. But we all have our downsides, and sometimes his passion can come across as anger to some. And he does tend to use more words than may be needed to make a point.  If his comments were recorded and transcribed, we would have a few pretty good books on the strengths and weaknesses of our culture and our financial system and challenges.

Kemp and Huett pointed out each other’s respective strengths and weaknesses.  Huett considers himself as a ‘facilitator.”  He likes working quietly behind the scenes. Huett provided support (the 4th commissioner) to the commissioner’s office which did not include the participation of Commissioner Sanders. Huett was involved in the staffing changes in the commissioner’s office, highway department personnel changes, recruiting and contracting for a construction manager (owners rep), the initiation of the county comprehensive plan, and liaising with the various interest groups in the county, such as the Brown County Community Foundation. The BCCF has opted to get more involved in local politics. Kemp reinforced that these are more liaison functions and not the primary responsibility of the Council President.

These liaison activities by Huett contributed to a situation where a 2025 budget was submitted to the state before the county council voted to approve it. The lack of attention to the job also led to non-compliance with previous policies regarding the process for reviewing the timely review of the budget.

Even more concerning, end-of-year appropriations were not passed by the end of the year, which leads to the reporting of account deficits that will be an audit finding that will reflect badly on the auditor. The auditor, repeatedly called out the council for not making timely decisions that caused chaos with the financial reporting and took time away from addressing more critical needs within the office.

The Council will have a choice to make on the direction of the county in 2025. It should be a good meeting – Jan 21, 2024, 5:30-7:30.

Election 2024: The Local Political Dramas – For the Record

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Last updated: Nov 6, 2024  

clark bc3 2024

Nov 5, 2024. Election results: Clark wins Brown County commissioner race, Brown County Democrat.

My last campaign letter (link below) will be published in next week’s Democrat (Oct 30, 2024). It provides a little context on the local political drama this election and reinforces the importance of your vote in determining the direction of the county.

Additional Detail – the “longer” post.

Election 2024: The Local Political Drama,
by Tim J. Clark
Republican Candidate for Commissioner, District 3

The local elections in Brown County are a little different this year. The campaign strategy posted at timjclarkforcommissioner.com reinforced that a monopoly on political power leads to a centralization of power that is almost always misused.  

As a conservative and someone who consistently votes in the primaries as a Republican, I opted out of an association with the local GOP organization in 2017 that functions more like a club.  The leadership did not welcome debate on positions and hijacked conservative values and principles for the benefit of a few.  Reference: The Case for Change: Part 2: Problems, Challenges, and Capabilities. This assessment was validated in the 2024 election when the “club” chose to support an independent candidate.

I created the Independent Voters of Brown County IN website to share more in-depth information on county issues and challenges and to develop non-partisan support for improvement.  I also post information on the Facebook group Brown County Matters. 

My unwavering commitment to voters is that through transparency, accountability, and continuous improvements, we can make the necessary changes to sustain and improve the quality of government services, giving you the confidence that your voice is heard and that your concerns are addressed. Sep 25, 2024.  Letter: Brown County Democrat – Tim J. Clark  

Significant changes and improvements at the county level require non-partisan approaches, open communication, as many public meetings and working sessions as needed, and the application of a collaborative decision-making process that can result in the best solutions for the county.

County Political Organizations.  Most voters are not aware of the local political structure and dramas. This lack of awareness, often fueled by voter apathy, is a serious issue. It contributes to an imbalance of power where a few believe they can get by with anything. Power corrupts and can be more addicting than drugs.  The fact that the local paper – The Brown County Democrat, stopped covering county government meetings reduces another source of needed oversight and transparency. This policy may change with the recent hiring of a new editor.  

    • Case in Point: The Indian Hill Road and Railroad Crossing was closed without a public hearing or notification to the residents most affected. A settlement agreement with the Indiana Railroad Company was signed before the commissioners voted to close the crossing. The alleged ambiguity regarding public hearings was rectified by the Indiana Legislature, which now mandates a public hearing. 

The local political parties are led by a four-member committee consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The election for these four (4) positions in the republican party is in March, following the November presidential election. There are eleven (11) precinct committeemen elected every four years in the primaries.* The precinct committeemen, or the chair, can appoint the vice precinct committeemen. This group represents the “Central Committee.”  *One Republican precinct has no chair or vice.  

Mark Bowman is the chair. His wife, Robyn, is an administrator who attends county government meetings. They own Tramcore Realty and are public advocates of taxpayer-funded development. This relationship can create a perception of a conflict of interest when elected officials support developments that the community may oppose.  

The Chair, along with a select group of loyalists, wields significant influence in determining who should (1) run for office, (2) be appointed or re-appointed to boards and commissions, (3)  who should get and keep county government jobs, and (4) who should be appointed to fill a vacancy in an elected office.  The precinct committeemen, on the other hand, have the power to vote on a replacement when a vacancy occurs in an elected position.

Power Corrupts. The assessment of the misuse of power in the local GOP  leadership was confirmed after the 2024 primaries when the preferred candidate (Jerry Pittman) was defeated.

The GOP chair shifted support to an independent candidate that he may believe would better support his agenda. The Chair then leveraged other Republican elected officials and candidates for office to support the strategy. To add to the drama, other elected officials who believed they should be in charge of the party’s direction saw the opportunity to gain control and power within the party. The few in this group also support the independent, who they may also believe will not challenge their personal agendas.

Game of Thrones. The drama in Brown County is similar to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, where different factions compete for power and dominance to the detriment of the citizenry. What a disservice to Bown County voters and a waste of time and energy that could be better spent better serving the community.

Going Rogue – Republican in Name Ony (RINO).   The local GOP decision to go rogue defies State GOP party rules. Rule 1-25 defines a Republican “NOT’ in Good Standing as someone actively or openly supporting another candidate against a Republican nominee. 

    • Everyone is expected to vote for the best candidate possible. However, if you are in a Party leadership position, you are expected to support the candidates that are elected by your voters in the primary. Another option is to resign from your position.

Indiana Republican GOP – State Races.  A county chair supporting an independent got the attention of the State GOP officials. Encouraging straight-ticket voters (the majority) to split their ticket to vote for an independent candidate may result in fewer votes for state and national candidates. Specifically, this may result in Indiana House Representative Dave Hall (R), District #62, from being re-elected. He only won by 73 votes in the last election.

Commissioner Race. Adding to the drama is an optimistic expectation that an independent (with some name recognition but little if any knowledge or experience in county government) could pull enough votes to either win by pulling enough Democrat and Republican voters or help the Democrat candidate to get elected. The Democrat candidate may be seen as more accommodating to one or more of the respective agendas. 

Gaming the Vote

Straight-Ticker Voters and Independents.  The odds are that straight-ticket Republican voters will elect the Republican candidate (Tim J. Clark), who may also get votes from independents and Democrats.   Straight-ticket voters can have the confidence that the primary voters who may have more knowledge of local politics, selected the best candidates for the positions.

I define an independent voter as someone who supports a non-partisan approach to resolving county issues. This contributes to developing the best solutions for the county. Regardless of political affiliation, we can find common ground on issues that include the quality of government services, the condition of roads and bridges, balancing the budget, saving for a rainy day, and public health and safety.

Previous Elections. When current commissioner Ron Sanders (District 2) defeated two-term incumbent Diana Biddle for commissioner in 2022, Mark Bowman unsuccessfully attempted to recruit a popular Democrat to run against Sanders as an Independent. The independent candidate who did run without the party’s visible support received 740 votes. 

Commissioner Sanders’s performance on behalf of all citizens has validated the voters’ judgment that he was the best candidate for the position.

    • 2022 Election: Sanders earned 3,281 votes, Democratic candidate Stephanie Kritzer received 2,324, and Independent candidate Jeff Harden received 740 votes. (Ref:  BC Democrat).

Qualification and Experience of the Candidates

The candidate’s websites, Facebook pages, and forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on September 21—which is available on YouTube—can provide voters with insight into the candidates’ qualifications and experience.

A Way Ahead.  I appreciate your vote and will work to implement the best solution for the county. This goal can be supported by communication, holding as many public meetings and working sessions as needed, and applying a collaborative decision-making process where all voices are heard and addressed.  

Regardless of the outcome of the November election, Republicans should support needed changes in the local GOP leadership. New elections are held in March 2025.

Tim J. Clark
Republican Candidate for Commissioner, District 3
TimJClarkforCommissioner.com