GREENFIELD — Two residents vying for the Republican nomination for a seat on the Hancock County Board of Commissioners and four more seeking seats on the Hancock County Council addressed voters Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Hancock County Young Republicans at the Hancock County Courthouse Annex.
The candidates for District 2 county commissioner — a three-person board that has legislative and executive roles in the county — are Kent Fisk and Marc Huber.
Two candidates, Mary Noe and Randy Sorrell, are seeking the District 2 county council seat, which represents the western part of the county, including McCordsville. And newcomer Will Ronan is challenging incumbent Jim Shelby for the seat representing District 3, which encompasses the Greenfield area. The Hancock County Council has the final word on the county’s fiscal matters, including expenditures, salaries and taxes.
No Democrats have filed to run in the May 8 primary in either race.
The six candidates were each given five minutes Wednesday to make their pitches to voters about why they’re the best one for the job. Here’s a look at what each had to say.
Hancock County Board of Commissioners
Kent Fisk
Kent Fisk, a lifelong Hancock County resident, believes his experience in county government sets him apart from his opponent.
Fisk served as a reserve sheriff’s deputy for 10 years and served another 10 years on the Greenfield-Central School Board before running for Hancock County Council. He’s currently serving his second term on the council.
Fisk said as he meets with county residents, many want to discuss the proposed $55 million criminal justice center — a project he does not fully support.
“I thought we ought to start with getting people out of the jail and see how much jail we need,” he said.
Fisk believes the county should focus on getting more inmates into community corrections or work release programs, instead of building more jail cells, and introduce more treatment programs to help decrease recidivism.
Marc Huber
Marc Huber, a Hancock County native and local business owner, is the incumbent in the race, seeking his second term on the board of commissioners. He spent two years on the county council before taking his current seat on the three-member board, and he believes his small business experience lends itself better to the commissioners’ role, he said.
Huber told the crowd he supports constructing a new jail, pointing out the plans call for a comprehensive criminal justice center with room for treatment programs and a robust probation department.
He said the county is employing good people who are hamstrung by the lack of space and resources at the current county jail.
“What we’re doing right now is not working,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of great people who can do more.”
Hancock County Council District 2
Mary Noe
Mary Noe currently serves as the Hancock County Assessor. She’s in her second term in that role and is ready to retire, she said.
She previously served on the county council from 1988 to 1994 before serving four terms as the Vernon Township assessor and the elected county assessor. Now, she hopes to step back onto the council.
“I’ve enjoyed county government, and I think I still have a lot to offer,” she said.
Noe said in her time on the council and as assessor have taught her about both sides of the budget, and she’s always worked hard to be fiscally responsible.
She used her five minutes to discuss the state of the county’s property tax caps and to illustrate how the tax burden mignt fall if the jail referendum passes or fails May 8.
Randy Sorrell
Randy Sorrell, a longtime lawyer in Hancock County and the incumbent in the race, said his two children are both grown and married, so he’s found himself with more time on his hands, leaving him the chance to serve on the council.
He is listed as the attorney on record on some 3,250 local cases, including 1,672 criminal cases, since he started working as a lawyer in Hancock County in 1987. Three clients in that span of time have died of drug-related causes — one in a car crash and two of overdoses.
“Lawyers are not bulletproof,” he remarked. “That stuff sticks with you.”
He said the current discussions about increasing treatment programs for drug users are a step in the right direction, and he wants to keep pushing the cause forward.
He mentioned he and Noe are neighbors and friends, and drew a laugh from the crowd when he said that this will be the first race where he would not vote for Noe.
Hancock County Council District 3
Will Ronan
Because he’s not a Hancock County native, Will Ronan said he believes he will bring a fresh perspective to the county council. He wants to make Hancock County a better, safer place for his wife and two little boys.
With parents and a sister in law enforcement careers, Ronan said he wants to focus on creating a better relationship between county government and law enforcement officers. He also hopes to use his seat on the county council to aid veterans, he said. He has worked with Helping Hands for Freedom, an organization that helps families of deployed soldiers make ends meet, he said.
“Veterans are near and dear to my family,” he said.
Ronan said his work as an accountant gives his the ability to forecast budgets for businesses of all sizes, a skill that would serve as an asset to the county.
Jim Shelby
Incumbent Jim Shelby is a lifelong Greenfield resident and a lifelong Republican, he said Wednesday. He shared about his history on the county council, where he took over former councilman Dick Pickett’s seat shortly before the terror attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I decided as I was nearing the end of my career, I wanted to use some of my talents and education to do some good,” he said. “I didn’t realize how quickly I was going to use my talents.”
He recalled how, in the light of the economic recession, he and the council chose to halt appropriations toward bridge and road repairs for two years instead of reducing staff members.
He concluded by sharing he believes the new criminal justice center should be built somewhere aside from downtown Greenfield and should be built “out, not up.”
