2 compete for Democratic mayoral nod in Lawrence

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — Each of the Democratic Get together’s candidates for this Marion County metropolis’s highest workplace mentioned the town must discover a option to entice companies of its personal.

Republican Steve Collier just isn’t searching for one other time period as mayor of Lawrence, and Democratic Get together insiders have mentioned they take into account Lawrence a main alternative to flip a mayoral seat. Deb Whitfield and Shawn Denney are carrying that celebration’s banner into the Might major.

Nestled in Marion County’s northeast nook, Lawrence is the most important of the county’s 4 municipalities that aren’t consolidated with the town of Indianapolis. As soon as the house of Fort Benjamin Harrison, Lawrence nonetheless hosts the Protection Financing and Accounting Service together with armories for the Indiana Nationwide Guard and the Military, Navy and Marine Corps Reserves. Aside from that residual protection infrastructure, it’s primarily a bed room group, one thing each candidates mentioned they need to transfer the town away from.

Deb Whitfield

Deb Whitfield has lived in Lawrence for about 30 years. She is a respiratory therapist and a variety, fairness and inclusion director for an area well being care system. As well as, she has served on the Lawrence Frequent Council since 2019. She mentioned she determined to run for mayor as a result of she discovered residents of the neighborhoods she represented felt they weren’t being listened to by metropolis leaders. She mentioned she desires to rebuild belief within the metropolis and ensure everybody has a voice.

“I need to unite us. I imagine that as we’re collectively, we’re going to be very sturdy,” she mentioned. “We’re going to have the ability to break some boundaries.”

Whitfield mentioned the important thing to holding Lawrence protected is to ensure police have the funding and gear they want but in addition present sources for these dealing with psychological well being points. She mentioned she desires to carry group outreach occasions to attach folks with the sources they could want.

When it comes to the town’s progress, Whitfield mentioned officers ought to discover a means to assist small companies meet their wants. She mentioned the town ought to present rental area for small companies to arrange store now and again in a fashion just like the farmer’s market on Civic Plaza off 56th Road. Whitfield mentioned this is able to permit entrepreneurs to develop their enterprise with out incurring the prices of a lease.

Shawn Denney

Shawn Denney has lived in Lawrence since 2009. He has served on the Frequent Council since 2020 and beforehand served on the Lawrence Township faculty board and because the township’s deputy trustee. He mentioned he determined to run for mayor as a result of he desires to offer again to the group the place he raised his household.

“Proper now, lots of people name us the drive-through group. I believe we have to do away with that acronym and be the go-to group,” he mentioned.

Denney mentioned Lawrence police and metropolis chaplains already are working to ascertain or reestablish relationships all through the group. He mentioned the following step to maintain the general public protected is to seek out methods to succeed in folks battling psychological well being or substance abuse issues earlier than they enter the prison justice system.

On progress, Denney mentioned the town wants to advertise alternatives alongside Pendleton Pike. He mentioned the presence of Pendleton Pike and I-465 imply any enterprise that chooses to find within the metropolis has easy accessibility to main thoroughfares.

The winner of the Might 2 major will face Republican David Hoffman, the town’s former police chief, in November. Hoffman is unopposed in his major. April 3 is the final day to register to vote if you wish to vote within the major.

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