Two Bloomington women have filed paperwork with the Monroe County Clerk’s Office expressing their interest in becoming the city’s next mayor.
Bloomington City Council President Susan Sandberg created anexploratory committee June 1 to build a 2023 mayoral campaign. Executive Director of IU Center for Rural Engagement Kerry Thomson created a candidate's principal committee seeking the mayor’s office on Wednesday.
Creation of these committees allows candidates to accept contributions and spend money seeking office, according to the 2022Indiana Campaign Finance Manual.
Sandberg said her campaign will focus on basic essential city services and said that she will frequently speak about restoration and maintenance.
“We've got to make sure that we're taking good care of the assets we already have before we start expanding into new programs and new projects,” she said.
Sandberg has been on the city council since January 2007. She said she is considering running for mayor because over the past term several differences developed between her council votes and the point of view of Mayor John Hamilton’s administration.
“That combined with quite a few people in the constituency out there who have been encouraging me to run for some time now,” Sandberg said.
One of the differences involved the unified development ordinance that sets rules for city growth and development, she said.
“There were some major differences with respect to density and core neighborhoods and the changes in the unified development ordinance that basically eliminated single family zoning protections,” Sandberg said.
Additionally, Sandberg said she and several city council members have been urging Hamilton to pay closer attention to the needs of the Bloomington Police Department.
“We're losing them to other jurisdictions, we're losing them to other cities,” Sandberg said. “And so we felt the need to increase our competitiveness with respect to the kind of personnel that we need to run the city in a safe and civil manner.”
Sandberg said her intention has always been to make the city better than it was when she was appointed to replace council member Chris Gaal 15-plus years ago, and that it continues to be her goal.
“I know being mayor is a big job but it is one, once again, I feel I have great confidence in my ability to be a collaborator,” she said.
Thomson said she wants to be Bloomington’s mayor because she knows how to build a team and bring the community together.
“If we don't really tap the minds and the gifts of the people who live here and bring them together in collaboration, we will never have the best possible solutions,” Thomson said.
Despite never having run for public office or having served as an elected official before, Thomson said she has interacted with the city and county governments as a resident and business leader. Before becoming executive of the IU center, Thomson was CEO of the Monroe County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
“What I really believe is that I have the leadership, and also the know-how to bring people together across our many divides and unite us to build solutions to some of our very complex social issues,” Thomson said. “And also take advantage of some tremendous opportunities that we have in front of us.”
Housing, Thomson said, is an obvious issue and that lack of housing options has reached a critical point in the community.
“Where people at all income levels aren't able to find any attainable housing, no matter how much money you have,” Thomson said.
An important thing for Bloomington residents to understand, Thomson said, is that she wants to hear from them.
“And more importantly, I will listen and I will incorporate their feedback into solutions that work for the people of Bloomington,” Thomson said.
Mayor John Hamilton is eligible for a third term but will not make any election related announcements until after the fall elections, according to a statement from his office.
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton (Joe Hren, WFIU/WTIU News)
