Six candidates seek Bartholomew County Council at-large seats

All three incumbent at-large Bartholomew County Council members in office at the beginning of this year won’t be back next year.

Republicans Matt Miller and Bill Lentz did not file to seek another term, while Evelyn Pence cited health concerns for stepping down in July.

A contested GOP primary led to voters getting to know Republican candidates last spring, but the three Democrats were unopposed in the primary.

One is Michelle Carr, who has held multiple leadership roles with the local Democratic party. Carr, 45, says that as a mother of two LGBTQ+ children, she feels it’s time that everyone felt represented by leadership at the county level.

Psychologist Nancy Merbitz says the GOP’s long-time dominance in county government shows a need for balance, accountability, and representation. Merbitz, 68, prioritizes water quality, prosecuting those who treat pets with extreme cruelty, and placing tax payers and existing community resources first when considering TIF districts and tax abatements.

Zach Patchett, 26, who holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Statistics from Purdue, lists animal rights, county parental leave, mental health care, the opioid crisis, public transportation and affordable housing as his priorities.

On the Republican side, Marcus Speer is technically an incumbent. The farmer/minister/school bus driver was chosen by GOP leadership in July to fill the remaining time on Pence’s term. Speer, 50, says his priorities are maintaining balanced budgets and effectively using tax revenues.

Michael Bell, 55, is a certified public accountant who has worked extensively in business administration. Bell lists four priorities: public safety, infrastructure, economic development, and personal property rights.

Bank administrator Kim Bennett, 49, says she has gained valuable experience by working in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She said a community thrives when all three sectors work together.

Q: If Bartholomew County keeps adding sizable wage increases and benefits for employees every year, it could create expenses that will never go away. That concern was expressed in May 2023 by a current county council member. Do you share this same concern?

Michael Bell: I believe the county is in a very good position in terms of the wage and benefit expenses that are offered to the employees. With the increases over the last couple of years, the county has brought the total compensation package up to levels equitable or exceeding surrounding counties. The current tax revenue forecast has the county in a position to be able to afford this level of expense, therefore I am not worried about funding these expenditures. In fact I support the increases to wage and benefits because I want highly qualified, long-term expert county employees who are proficient at their job.

Kim Bennett: The employees that serve Bartholomew County are some of our greatest assets. In order to retain quality employees, it is critical that we provide competitive wages and benefits. Recent wage increases in 2023 were approved in order to make sure we are doing just that. I do not think we need to add sizeable wage increases every year. We do need to review wages and benefits on a regular basis to make sure we are staying competitive and to retain one of our greatest assets, our employees. The cost of losing quality employees can range anywhere from one-half to two times their salary. Unnecessary turnover would be much more costly to taxpayers than paying a fair wage.

Michelle Carr: As a manager, I often heard this same excuse from the executive level. Experience taught me that staff shortages hurt how much you can get done, the quality of service you provide and future funds. It’s important to invest in our county, such as creating parks that are healthy, sustainable and producing funds. The mindset that we must cut all corners, lacks innovation and vision. This will cost more in the long-term and will lead to the eventual dismantling of our parks and other services. It’s time for a new vision on how we can invest for the long-term, instead of doing the bare minimum “to get by.”

Nancy Merbitz: There are chronic concerns about retaining Bartholomew County employees. This is being addressed by large salary increases for law enforcement, and some professional and elected positions. However, salaries continue to lag for many other essential workers. The median salary among all our county employees is $47,000, compared to $51,000 for county employees around Indiana (2023 data). With Bartholomew’s current median home price of $255,000, and median monthly rent of $1,278 for a two-bedroom apartment, half of our employees struggle to afford housing here. They have to spend 30% or more of pre-tax income just to house themselves.

Zack Patchett: No, I do not share this concern. We should expect wages and benefits to increase gradually over time, as new developments and an increasing population expand our tax base. If the county does not adjust wages and benefits to compete against other counties or the public sector, we risk losing good public servants and the years of experience they take with them. The expenses necessary to increase wages and provide better benefits, like parental leave, are less than the costs the county shoulders, due to increased turnover and an inability to attract young talent.

Marcus Speer: Councilman Jorge Morales followed up with a question: “How much longer can we sustain that without taking any negative actions toward our employees?” Recognizing that employee compensation is the single largest item within the county budget, we must consider both short- and long-term ramifications. When it comes to our county employees, it is important to recruit the best and then continue to retain that same workforce. With skyrocketing cost-of-living, it has become imperative that wages and benefits are at a level needed by employees. This must occur while the council seeks to maintain a balanced budget by effectively using tax revenues.

Q: With King’s Hawaiian as an example, Bartholomew County government has significantly stepped up its economic development efforts. What are your thoughts about incentives such as tax abatements that local governments can use to attract new companies?

Michael Bell: I believe attracting new business to our community is important for the county to grow and be successful economically. Tax abatements and infrastructure improvements are a key in attracting this new business. Typically, the property taxes are phased in over five to 10 years to help the new company become established and become successful before bearing the burden of the full tax bill. At the same time, new businesses are hiring employees and creating economic activity, the new employees are paying local income tax, and property taxes beginning in the first year are making up for a large portion of the tax abatements and infrastructure expense. For subsequent years investment, I don’t think the attraction of tax abatements on equipment is really necessary. As an example, a million dollar equipment investment on a 10-year abatement saves the company approximately $6,000 per year; on a five-year abatement, the company savings is around $7,600. I do not think this small annual difference would keep a company willing to invest in its current operations from doing so.

Kim Bennett: Tax abatements are just one tool a government can use to attract new companies. The benefits our community gains from bringing new companies to it can vary greatly from one opportunity to another. My position regarding incentives on tax abatements may differ, depending on each unique situation. I am not opposed to them as long as the additional benefits that a company would bring to Bartholomew County more than exceed any incentive being considered. Tax abatements are an opportunity to help us diversify from automotive and attract new industries. It is important for us to continue to bring new business in order to help us create jobs, increase tax revenue (outside of any abatement) and attract new residents.

Michelle Carr: I’m a believer that county residents should have the same opportunities to succeed as the city residents do. I have concerns about the potential to turn our county farmland into an urban sprawl. Our county’s leaders have made temporarily using farmland for solar almost impossible, but are not as concerned about eliminating that farmland with industrial or housing uses. I’ll advocate to place new development on “brownfield” sites rather than farmland. I’m also concerned about advertising our limited fresh water supply to companies as an incentive. There are better ways to improve economically than to give away our limited resources.

Nancy Merbitz: When I consider county tax abatements for more manufacturers, what comes to mind is: “water.” Bartholomew County is blessed with a complex variety of ground water aquifers, but is challenged by aging infrastructure and the rising consumer costs for upgrades. We already see the decreased reliability of rainfall, and more need for groundwater irrigation by our farmers. The supply of water will shrink with more industrial users, including King’s Hawaiian. The costs of water treatment are already likely to rise due to increasing numbers of CAFOs, more applications of biosolids, and future regulations to remove “forever chemicals” (PFAS). We must be very careful to ensure that new developments are not subsidized in exchange for losses to our residents’ health and financial well-being.

Zack Patchett: I’m skeptical that tax abatements and tax increment financing are effective uses of our tax dollars, given their long timelines and the uncertainty associated with their projected costs and benefits. I would prefer to see our county invest directly in our community by providing abatements or financing to local businesses. I’m concerned that actions made in the name of economic development don’t promote healthy competition, but effectively maintain winners and losers in a market. Yes, the King’s Hawaiian project brings jobs, but it also subsidizes the growth of a big business at the expense of small businesses.

Marcus Speer: Certainly, there have been occasions when tax incentives have been used effectively to encourage economic development within Bartholomew County. Nevertheless, it is important for the council to review any negative impacts such incentives can have with tax revenues. We also must be certain that we are maintaining fairness among all businesses. It is important for there to be follow-ups from such companies showing the positive impact from the use of incentives. Have new jobs been created and will they remain long-term? As the council seeks to continue a balanced budget, it important that all incentives be reviewed case by case.

Bell

Michael R. Bell

Age: 55

Address: County Road 60E

Party affiliation: Republican

Employment: Has served most recently as chief rinancial officer of Tallman Equipment Co., Inc.

Prior political offices: Wayne Township Advisory Board – 2016 to present

Education: BS Accounting – Ball State University 1990 and CPA 1995

Community service and organizations: past treasurer and board member St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, baseball and softball coach, AICPA, Indiana CPA Society, IMA member, NRA and Whitetails Unlimited.

Family: Wife, Shelly. Children: Mickey, Victoria, and Elizabeth

Bennett

Kim Bennett

Age: 49

Address: River Grove Court

Party affiliation: Republican

Employment: Treasury management officer at German American Bank

Prior political offices: none

Education: BS Business Administration, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2009

Community service and organizations: United Way of Bartholomew County, Turning Point, kidscommons, Mill Race Marathon Kids Fun Run Committee, Rotary Club of Columbus, Member of St. Peters Lutheran Church

Family: Husband, Brian Bennett. Children: Sarah and Charlie

Carr

Michelle Carr

Age: 45

Address: Rolling Hill Drive

Party affiliation: Democrat

Employment: Formerly employed at Springleaf Financial (now One Main Financial). Currently a substitute teaching assistant for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.

Prior political offices: none

Education: High school honors diploma

Community service and organizations: Vice-chairman and social media director for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party, executive committee member for Winding Waters Group Sierra Club, executive committee member for Hoosier Chapter Sierra Club, board member of Energy Matters Community Coalition, and steering committee member of South Central Indiana Stonewall Democrats.

Family: Husband, Jason. Two children: Elizabeth and Lexi

Merbitz

Nancy Merbitz

Age: 68

Address: Beechtree Drive

Party affiliation: Democrat

Employment: Retired staff psychologist with the Cleveland VA Medical Center. Part-time independent practice affiliated with Neurobehavioral Consultants.

Prior political office: None

Education: PhD in psychology, University of Notre Dame, 1993

Community service and organizations: Winding Waters chapter, Sierra Club; Co-founder of the Critical Care Special Interest Group, Division of Rehabilitation Psychology, American Psychological Association. Member, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus.

Family: Widowed, with two stepchildren.

Patchett

Zack Patchett

Age: 26

Address: Clairmont Drive

Party affiliation: Democrat

Employment: Student

Prior political offices: none

Education: BS from Purdue University in applied statistics with a minor in management

Community service and organizations: Hoosier Action, Mill Race Theatre Company, Bartholomew County Democratic Socialists

Family: Wife, Grace

Speer

Marcus Daniel Speer

Age: 50

Address: County Road 300S, Elizabethtown

Party affiliation: Republican

Employment: School bus driver, senior minister at Jennings Church of Christ, farmer

Political offices: Bartholomew County Council (since July 12), served on Rockcreek Township Board and as Rockcreek Township Trustee

Education: Class of 1992 at Columbus East High School. Earned a bachelor of arts degree from Cincinnati Christian University in 1997.

Community service and organizations: Vice-president of South Central Indiana Christian Men’s Fellowship. Secretary and past president of Bartholomew County Genealogical Society. Adult volunteer and past council of the Bartholomew County 4-H Clubs. Past assistant treasurer of the Bartholomew County Fair Board, past officer of the BCSC Bus Drivers & Monitors Association.

Family: Wife, Jennifer. One daughter