Four candidates are running for two at-large seats on the town council in the Nov. 7 municipal election.
Republicans Evan Norris and Joseph Stein and Democrats Amanda Rubeck and Rick Graef answered the following questions from Current:
What are your top three campaign issues?
Stein: My top three campaign issues are responsible development, safety and transparency.
Norris: My top three campaign issues are improving infrastructure, attracting intelligent, sustainable growth where appropriate and listening to the needs and wants of the residents.
Rubeck: My top three campaign issues are placing the focus back on our community versus friction, bringing the much-needed professional voice to the town council and working cohesively with Mayor-elect (John) Stehr and his administration, and growth and redevelopment.
Graef: My top three campaign issues are mindful growth, preservation of parks, pathways and rural areas and looking into a Zionsville Community Center.
What are Zionsville’s greatest strengths? Where do you see areas of improvement?
Stein: Zionsville’s greatest strength is that it is a great community with great people. From local sporting events, the street dance or just walking down Main Street, you can always find a crowd of people enjoying themselves. We have to get our financial house in order. My background as a certified public account and chief financial officer will benefit the council and the town.
Norris: Zionsville’s greatest strength is its people. This town is full of so many welcoming and hospitable residents. Other great strengths are having robust property values and a strong income tax base. I see improvements and/or realignments that are greatly needed in our infrastructure, especially the Michigan Road and Oak Street corridors. These will need to be closely monitored and evaluated in the coming years.
Rubeck: The quality of life in Zionsville is a beauty that is recognizable to those who visit and those who are fortunate to call Zionsville home. From our mature trees to our brick Main Street, historic homes, rolling fields in rural Zionsville, our amazing parks, to the slower pace feel of our community there is so much to love. Zionsville is home to one of the best school systems in Indiana. Areas of opportunity are looking to the future, understanding our gaps in housing, and diversifying our tax base.
Graef: Zionsville’s strengths lie in our unwavering sense of community, strong rural roots and unmatched character of our downtown. Our parks/pathways and the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library are also jewels of our community. But our true strength lies in the people working and living in Zionsville. Areas for improvement include mindful development in our business corridors. Future growth is inevitable but needs to be carefully planned in order to preserve our native and natural habitats, increase our corporate tax base and still serve our residents. Additionally, our elected officials need to put egos aside and selflessly put our town and its residents first.
How would you describe Zionsville’s financial health? Why would you describe it that way?
Stein: I don’t think anyone can answer that question accurately at this time. I can say that the current town council is doing the best they can with the information available to them. They have been thoughtful, and conservative given the uncertainty of our records. It is mission critical to get back on track from a recordkeeping standpoint and those steps are being taken. We just aren’t there yet.
Norris: We are fortunate to live in a town that has been able to weather the last three plus years of financial woes under the current mayor’s administration. Zionsville has sustainable revenue sources through local income and property taxes. However, the town council needs to continue to take strides to reduce the overall deficit so the town can maintain healthy reserves. In the end, the town needs to strike a delicate balance between remaining fiscally responsible while maintaining a level of service from the government that residents expect.
Rubeck: Zionsville has created a long-sustaining environment that has contributed to a strong financial position. We have healthy general fund balances and we’ve created sustainable budgets with often 50 percent or more focused on public safety. We have had our challenges in a functioning financial software system, and I was added to the town’s finance committee after we had switched to OpenGov. I’ve played a role in reviewing the RFPs to select Boyce’s Keystone system. Fiscally we need to begin increasing our corporate tax base to help sustain our future. In serving on the Redevelopment Commission, I am especially proud of the work we are accomplishing this year to fill up Creekside Corporate Park.
Graef: Zionsville is fiscally healthy. We had a past financial software system that experienced serious reporting issues but have since migrated to another platform which has resolved the problem. While our past internal communication issues between the mayor’s office and our town council have also caused some challenges, we have had prudent fiscal management with healthy and sustainable budgets. Future capital expenditures and future town personnel will require prudent financial planning in order to continue to maintain our fiscal health.
What should be the city’s role in supporting its senior citizen residents and their needs?
Stein: Many of our senior citizens are the people that knew Zionsville before all of the growth and changes. They are the ones that laid much of the groundwork for the town that we all love. If our senior citizens have chosen to keep Zionsville their home, we owe it to them to make it as senior-friendly as we can.
Norris: The town should always strive to improve services to assist our senior citizen population. It starts with improved accessibility and accommodations. For example, I anticipate the Gateway Village project should incorporate a design that makes it much easier for all residents (especially our senior citizens) to park and utilize the shops/restaurants in the Village.
Rubeck: In the next comprehensive plan, we need to place an emphasis on having an age-friendly town. Senior citizens need to have an accessible physical environment and an inclusive social environment. I’ve heard from several seniors that they desire additional wayfinding signage so they can locate things to do and places to be present within. I’ve also spent time with many who are challenged with accessing the village as it is not equipped for accessibility to support those who may have wheelchair needs or other means of walking support.
Graef: Historically, Zionsville has been family-housing focused. This has resulted in a lack of affordable housing for both first-time buyers and seniors/retirees. The Wild Air development is an example of what Zionsville should consider in the future. I would also like to see the formation of a dementia-friendly town task force. Statistics show that one in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime. Additionally, we should continue to foster our relationship with Boone County Senior Services as they do a wonderful job in identifying and responding to the needs of our senior population.
How do you determine if a proposed development or redevelopment project in Zionsville is something you would support?
Stein: I would have to look at a proposal through many lenses. Residential or Commercial? How will it impact the infrastructure? Who is the developer and is it someone that has a reputation for doing what they say they will do? Do they develop quality? If residential, what kind of development will it be? Will it help retain or increase the property values of our existing residents? What will the development do to our tax base? Will it burden our existing residents’ taxes, or will it offer relief?
Norris: These types of decisions need to be made by involving actual and potential stakeholders throughout the process. It starts with listening and discussing with residents, owners, other government bodies, etc. It is imperative that discussions around development include assessments of potential complications and unforeseen impacts to neighboring roads and properties. We also need to continue to look at the impact (positive or negative) that further development wiIl have on the tax base and government services (police, fire, DPW, etc.).
Rubeck: As a member of the Redevelopment Commission, I take the role of assessing development and redevelopment seriously. For redevelopment, we have a duty to study an area that needs redevelopment, understand the factors, and understand tax increment finance districts. For proposed developments, we need to look at infrastructure, the environment surrounding the proposed development, and the quality of the developer, as we keep in mind what keeps Zionsville unique. Impacts on our school system also need to be weighed and communicated effectively. In addition, we need to complete a new comprehensive plan as we have not had a new plan done since 2003. Finally, I believe we need to lean into some regional skills mapping to consider what would benefit our community, county and central Indiana regionally.
Graef: Any proposed development or redevelopment must put Zionsville first. It must be aligned with the needs and goals of our community, environmentally responsible and preserve Zionsville’s unique character. Increasing our corporate tax base is an important part of funding our needs for capital improvements and town staffing, but it must align with the nature of Zionsville and benefit all parties involved.
What do you most want voters to know about you?
Stein: I love Zionsville and my wife Donna and I have raised our family here. If elected I will listen to my fellow residents, working hard to understand their concerns and helping them understand the issues at hand. I will work with the other councilors and the mayor elect so that Zionsville can move forward in a positive way so that our children will enjoy the same great community that we have had the good fortune to enjoy.
Norris: I am enjoying getting to know so many voters across Zionsville throughout the campaign process. While I want to be known as someone who is fun-loving and easily approachable, I also want voters to know how deeply committed and serious I am about their Town and their financial well-being. I want the best for Zionsville, and Zionsville deserves elected officials who do not take their public service lightly or for granted. I have never been elected to public office, nor have I held any positions in the current Mayor’s Administration. It is time for Zionsville to start fresh with some new faces. If I am elected, voters will know they are getting a Town Council representative who will always be ready to tackle our most difficult and challenging issues. I look forward to taking on these challenges.
Rubeck: As a fortunate Hoosier who selected Zionsville as the place to raise my family, I have fallen in love with every aspect of this community. This isn’t just a run for town council, this is a passion fueled to see our community thrive through the use of my time and talent. I have served Zionsville in many different capacities from serving on various boards, commissions and committees to serving as a soccer coach. I’ve already begun tackling constituent issues and solving some items that were stagnant for two and a half years and are now being resolved. Together, we are Zionsville, and I am asking the community to take this next step with me in electing me in November.
Rick Graef: I came to central Indiana in 1991 after accepting the position of Assistant Principal French Horn with the ISO. My wife and I moved to Zionsville in 1996 after discovering Zionsville’s amazing village atmosphere, great schools and welcoming community. Both of my boys, now 31 and 29, are successful examples of our fantastic school district. In 2008, I became a widow after losing my wife, Sandy Graef, after a long battle with breast cancer. She was the band director at Zionsville Middle School. Many of our second-generation residents still remember her dedication to her students and our community. I chose to run for town council in order to give back to the community that I love. As a long-term resident, I care deeply about our town and feel I have the historical perspective and leadership background to help steer us towards a positive future.
What is the best way for voters to contact you?
Joseph Stein: [email protected]
Evan Norris: norrisforzionsville.com; [email protected]
Amanda Rubeck: amandarubeckforzionsville.com, [email protected], Cell 765-376-7366
Rick Graef: [email protected]
