Grass
GREENFIELD – The public is invited to hear from the three Republicans running for mayor at a debate next week.
The Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 at the Greenfield-Central Educational Services Building, 700 N. Broadway St., Greenfield.
Kerry Grass, Tyler Rankins and Guy Titus are running for Greenfield mayor on the GOP ticket in the primary election.
The event is free, but space is limited to 130 attendees so registration is required at https://www.greenfieldcc.org/events/City-of-Greenfield-Primary-Candidate-Mayoral-Debate-2530/details.
After registering, attendees will receive an email from which they can submit questions for candidates.
Hart Summeier, owner of Greenfield-based Level Up Real Estate Group, suggested that the chamber host the debate and will moderate the event.
The mayoral election is an important one, Summeier said.
“Local government – that’s where you see the direct impacts on the day-to-day of our businesses, our schools and the community,” he said.
Retta Livengood, president of the Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce, noted that the organization’s bylaws emphasize that it remain neutral when it comes to politics.
“We need to be Switzerland in these kinds of things,” Livengood said. “We’re not supporting one candidate over another. We’re simply offering a forum for members of the community to learn about these three candidates and allow them to form their own decisions and hopefully translate into actually voting, which is vital for our community. This is our local government. It’s imperative that they make an informed decision on who’s going to be running our community.”
Current Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell is not seeking a third term.
“It’s an exciting time to think of who’s going to be our next leader,” Livengood said.
At the debate, each candidate will have some time to introduce themselves before going into the question-and-answer portion, Livengood said. Questions need to be submitted ahead of time.
The three Republican mayoral candidates said they are excited for the debate.
“I’m looking forward to getting my message out to more and more people, so they know my stance on different subjects, different topics,” Grass said. “I’m hoping that voters get perspective of what I see the future of Greenfield being.”
Rankins said he is eager to share his plan for the future of the city as well.
“Hopefully my passion for the city comes across,” he said. “I hope some people that show up that don’t know who they’re going to vote for and we make their decision for them that night.”
Titus said each voter or citizen has a specific request or issue that they may have that they see as important to them specifically.
“This debate platform gives those individuals the opportunity to ask those questions,” he told the Daily Reporter in an email. “Just because a candidate has a fancy mailer or website or TV ad that says how qualified they are or the things they plan to address doesn’t show their knowledge of an issue or how they plan to address that issue. This debate will give the voters a chance to meet the candidates and hear their ideas in person.”
Nate Anderson, a Democrat, is running uncontested for Greenfield mayor in the primary election. Livengood said the chamber plans to host a mayoral debate later this year ahead of the general election that will include Anderson, the winner of the Republican primary, and any other candidates who file for the position.
The mayor’s office is one of several races across Greenfield, Cumberland, Fortville and McCordsville in the upcoming primary, which is May 2. Early voting remains available at the Hancock County Courthouse.
