From: Sandra Bush
Columbus
My name is Sandra Bush, and I am neither Democrat nor Republican. I have always chosen a candidate based on the issues and my consideration of the candidate and for these reasons I will be support Dr. Nancy Merbetz for Bartholomew County Council.
I met Dr. Nancy Merbitz through animal welfare. She reached out to me perplexed by the social media storms surrounding the abuse and cruelty of dogs and cats in Bartholomew County. She wanted to see the mountain of data I had collected. She came to my home and looked at every single disturbing and repulsive picture. Collars so tight and embedded that dogs are nearly decapitated. Weighted chokers and chains so short they cannot move and are forced to stand/live in their own excrement. Some starved to the point you can count every bone in their body. While others are tied outside regardless of the elements without sufficient shelter.
And she asked “why.”
I shared there are two fundamental reasons animal abuse is permitted in Bartholomew County — an ineffective ordinance and unvalued citizen representation.
The county’s animal control ordinance lacks comprehensive language and therefore is unenforceable. Dr. Nancy took her time examining and comparing our county ordinance against our city ordinance and then she compared our county ordinance against our neighboring communities. It was unmistakable to her that our county ordinance was not only unclear but offered no help to the county citizens, the animal control department or the animals.
The second contributor to our ineffective animal control is an overall lack of value for citizen representation. Dr Nancy observed most of our neighboring communities and even the city of Columbus benefiting from having an “Animal Control Commission” and several have placed animal control under their sheriff departments. Bartholomew county is the only county who has placed animal control directly under the leadership of its elected officials.
It is important to note Bartholomew County did have a citizen driven commission for 20 years until 1999 when the county commissioners terminated it. Dr. Merbitz read numerous publications including a letter written to the Republic and published on Jan. 8, 1999, titled “Animal Control Commission served on behalf of county.” This article was written by three members of the commission who after 20 years of tirelessly serving the county citizens and the animal control department free were without notice eliminated. She read about community leaders who cut off valuable support from veterinarians, nurses, teachers and business leaders in our county.
Although my connections with Dr. Merbitz have been surrounding county animal welfare disparities, I can say this with great confidence. She is one who values citizen representation above all else. I heard her say several times, “there is room for all of us at the table.” I also find her to value transparency and accountability, and she is not one to shy away from the “tough stuff.” Thank you, Dr. Nancy, for stepping up and serving!
Editor’s note: This letter is paid political content. Political endorsement letters are published with a $25 fee. They may be submitted to [email protected].
