Here we go again.
Republican Party leaders in Franklin have a job ahead: Picking a new member of the Franklin City Council who will replace Steve Barnett, who resigned when he was named mayor earlier this week.
Just like when Barnett was picked to replace Joe McGuinness as mayor, 22 precinct committee members will gather later this month to cast secret ballots. The next member of the city council will finish Barnett’s term through the end of 2019.
While no residents have sent the Johnson County Republican Party an official letter to become a candidate, three men say they want the job.
The candidates so far are local attorney Brian Alsip, Mutual Savings Bank President Bob Heuchan and Jim Higdon, who recently retired as director of the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Center.
Alsip said he has adopted Franklin as his hometown after coming to Franklin College in 1997 and never leaving. He has been thinking about running for city council for years and wants to be involved in continuing the momentum the city has gained. He is a member of the city’s board of zoning appeals.
“It felt like a calling to me,” Alsip said. “The things going on here, as a resident gives me a real sense of pride.”
Heuchan has worked in downtown Franklin for more than 40 years and served on city boards for decades to become comfortable with how city government operates. He was on the economic development commission in the 1980s when Eddy Teets was mayor and is a current member of the city’s redevelopment commission, which manages the millions of dollars in property taxes collected in the city’s tax-increment financing, or TIF, districts.
“I feel like it’s something I’ve wanted to do and it’s an opportunity,” Heuchan said.
Higdon contacted Republican Party Chairwoman Beth Boyce before Barnett was selected as mayor and said that if Barnett won, he was interested in replacing him on the city council. He’s lived in Franklin for 39 years and has experience with government and budgeting from his career at the juvenile detention center.
“I just like where the city of Franklin is going,” Higdon said, noting the progress the city has made in improving infrastructure, specifically streets. “I’d like to be a part of the growing community of Franklin.”
The seat is at-large, meaning it represents the entire city and any resident can be a candidate. The job pays $7,160 per year.
The caucus is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at Franklin City Hall.
The city council is a seven-member elected board that is responsible for approving the city’s annual budget and local ordinances. For example, if the police or fire departments want to add staff, the city council must approve it. The council also makes decisions about setting aside money for an expansion of city trails, changing the smoking ban or deciding how many streets to pave each year. The council members also serve on other city boards and appoint residents to service on boards, such as the redevelopment commission and the police merit board.
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The candidates
Three residents want to become members of the Franklin City Council. They area:
Brian Alsip
Bob Heuchan
Jim Higdon
Deadline
Residents who want to be mayor must apply in writing by 7 p.m. Feb. 24 to Johnson County Republican Party Chairwoman Beth Boyce at 845 Richart Lane, Greenwood, IN 46142.
Republican Party Caucus
Franklin’s Republican Party precinct committee members will conduct a caucus to select a member of the city council
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 27
Where: Franklin City Hall, 70 E. Monroe St.
The event is open to the public.
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