FORTVILLE — Both want to make sure their town grows responsibly, but only one can take the Republican nomination for a District 2 seat on Fortville Town Council in the upcoming primary election.
Becky Davis is challenging incumbent Tim Hexamer in the GOP contest. The Daily Reporter recently spoke with both candidates.
Becky Davis
Davis ran as an independent in last November’s general election for Fortville Town Council’s other District 2 seat, but she lost to Republican Robert Holland.
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She worked in Fortville’s utilities office for 16 years.
“Having worked there 16 years, I really know a lot about what the town does, what it stands for,” she said.
Now that Davis is retired, she misses the engagement she once had with people in town, she said.
“I thought this would just be a good way to stay involved,” Davis said.
She said she’s always been interested in politics and served as a precinct committee member when she lived in Lapel.
Davis said she does not have any specific initiatives she’d pursue if elected, but added she’s thrilled with the new businesses coming to town and wants to be involved in maintaining an environment in which local businesses can flourish.
Most of all, she wants to be an influence on the changes that are expected for the town, she said.
“The growth is going to come, but it needs to be controlled growth,” Davis said.
Tim Hexamer
Hexamer has represented District 2 on Fortville Town Council since filling the seat after a resignation in 2015. He then successfully ran for re-election later that year.
He, too, recognizes that Fortville is growing and pointed to the town’s new housing developments.
“The big thing about the growth of Fortville is you want to make sure that you keep the small-town feeling,” he said. “…It’s really a balancing act.”
Hexamer, who formerly represented the town council on the town’s police commission, said public safety is an important issue for him. He wants to see the town’s parks updated and improved as well. Local officials have a plan for that, he continued, adding part of it was enlisting the parks superintendent hired last year. Trails are part of that plan too, Hexamer said.
“We want this to be a walkable town,” he said.
Developing and maintaining the town’s annual budget is a big responsibility for the council, Hexamer went on to say.
“We only get so much money, so you have to try to line things up as fairly as you can,” he said.
Hexamer was involved in getting the recent revamp for the town’s website.
“I think we’re in the 21st century now,” he said.
He continues to work on a part of the site that will list the town’s businesses and direct visitors to their websites and social media pages.
While District 2 candidates have to live in the district in the mainly northern part of town, all eligible Fortville voters will be able to vote in the race in the May 7 primary.
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Age: 68
Party: Republican
Political experience: Fortville Town councilman since 2015
Occupation: Retired from General Motors
Family: Wife Denise, three children
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Age: 67
Party: Republican
Political experience: Former precinct committee member, Lapel
Occupation: Retired from Fortville utilities office
Family: Husband Jerry, two children and two stepchildren
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