While speaking to a group of third graders recently, city council member Mike Campbell was asked about the toughest part of his job.
"No matter what we do, we’re going to make somebody happy and somebody sad," Campbell said he told them. "Technically, we’re not a democracy. We’re a republic. As at-large members, we have to do what’s best for everybody."
Campbell has served on the city’s top leadership board for seven years, the last four as president. He will face six other Republican candidates for a shot at three at-large seats on the city council in the upcoming primary election.
The other candidates are fellow incumbents Bob Dine and Drew Foster, who won two separate caucuses last year. They will face newcomers John Asher, Randy Goodin, Justin Kloer and Bradley Pendleton.
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Three of the seven Republican candidates will advance to the fall municipal election, where they will face any Independents who may file by the July 1 deadline. No Democrats filed for at-large seats, but the party could slate candidates to fill the vacancy on the November ballot.
Some candidates are more supportive of the current administration’s actions and plans than others.
On the southeast side, Greenwood residents spoke and Campbell listened, he said.
Area residents want the city to draw a line somewhere east of I-65 and north of Worthsville Road which would serve as a buffer between residential neighborhoods and farmland to the south, and warehouses to the north.
Campbell wants to see more housing developments east of the city’s newest interchange, but the city can’t force home builders to move in there, he said.
"I think if we make it clear we’re not going to move warehouses into that area, they may see that. But we have to be patient. We can’t rush into things and take the first thing that comes along if we hope to attract the kinds of developments we’d like to see," Campbell said.
Dine wants to see housing developments in that area too, but also retail, which the city’s 20-year comprehensive plan calls for as well, he said.
"We’ve got plenty of fast-food restaurants. It would be nice to have some quality places," Dine said.
Foster decided to draw the line at Worthsville Road. He wants to see more residential neighborhoods south of Worthsville Road, and is supportive of light industrial and manufacturing companies north of Worthsville, he said.
"To me, Worthsville is the dividing line," Foster said.
"We’ve kind of decided, as a city, we want that (industrial) off of Exit 99," Foster said. "I want Greenwood to continue to look like Greenwood — the city I grew up in."
Asher is open to industrial development east of the interstate, especially for local businesses that want to expand, he said.
"I support some of the plans that have come before the council. I understand that people don’t want to see warehouses in some particular areas. But it’s my understanding (for example) that the folks opposed to the sale of the Kelsay property didn’t even live in that area. A lot of folks were five or six miles away," Asher said.
"At what point do you say we’re not going to expand our economy or jobs or growth? It’s (more) tax income for the city."
He would weigh each business on a case-by-case basis, he said. He certainly does not want to see any industrial developments west of the interstate, or shut the city off to new possibilities, he said.Â
"I wouldn’t just open the door and say, ‘Alright, everybody come on in,’" he said.
Goodin, who manages the Concerned Citizens of Southeast Greenwood Facebook page, is opposed to industrial developments near the Worthsville Road interchange, which is walking distance from his house.
He has rallied a group of area residents who oppose those types of developments, especially east of I-65 and south of Worthsville Road.
Ideally, Goodin would like to see a private school, houses in the $200,000 to $400,000 range and other commercial developments as that area grows, he said.
"I would like to see part of that missing middle that everybody’s talking about go in out there," he said.
Kloer does not want warehouses near the interchange, but rather more single-family homes. He would like the city to set aside some of that land for quality developments that bring good-paying jobs, such as office buildings, he said.
Pendleton says the city should stick to what the comprehensive plan calls for in that area, which is mixed-use development.
"Until we revise that (plan), I think we need to hold to what it says. If the city says it needs to be used for industrial purposes, fine, but make sure it’s healthy for the environment," Pendleton said.
"I don’t think we need to be rezoning anything. It’s being brought up constantly now, and I think we’re trying to go against that plan maybe too much."
Campbell is running again so he can continue to help develop the city, he said. He’s excited to see the former middle school property come to fruition, and wants to have a hand in that.
"While we’ve accomplished a lot, we can’t be stagnant," Campbell said.
Dine intends to make sure the city keeps its balance, he said.
"We can’t forget the city we had as we grow," Dine said.
A former Greenwood police chief for several years, public safety is his top priority. That includes making sure Greenwood has plenty of boots on the ground, he said.
"We have to make sure we have all of the people in place to cover this new growth," Dine said.
Foster, a deputy prosecutor, has a similar goal of making sure there are enough city employees to get the jobs done, particularly public safety personnel, he said.
"Every two or three meetings, we’re swearing in new firemen because those guys are leaving to go to other departments," Foster said. "If you look at it like a business, any business, if you want to keep quality employees, you have to pay them what they’re worth and you have to make it desirable."
But his No. 1 goal is to pass an ordinance regulating hotels. As a deputy prosecutor, he’s seen firsthand what goes on behind the walls of Greenwood’s lower-class hotels, including high numbers of emergency calls and health department violations.
Asher says the council could use some diversity, meaning council members who have different views.
Improving Greenwood’s quality of life by providing more activities and opportunities for residents and businesses is his top priority, he said.
Goodin decided to run for an at-large seat to expand his reach, he said. He wants to do what he’s done in southeast Greenwood throughout the city by informing, educating and empowering citizens, he said.
He strongly supports the mayor’s current plans for development of the former middle school property, which includes restaurants and retail coupled with condos and townhouses.
"If you do your research, that is what young professionals and the older generation are looking for. Rewind 10 years, I’m not sure that’s what I would have wanted. But even as I approach retirement age, more and more people are looking for that kind of walkability while still having ease of access to the interstates," Goodin said.
Kloer’s top priority would be making sure the city’s remaining land is used well, because the city is running out of land available for development, he said. The city has to strike a balance with what that remaining land is used for, he said.
"Land use is really one of the biggest challenges," Kloer said. "We need to maximize our revenue per acre with (businesses) that will drive future economic activity, and we need more houses for our growing population."
Pendleton wants to be part of those big projects that are coming down the pipeline, he said.
Running for city council is something he and his dad had discussed since he graduated college six years ago. His dad died in 2016, but Pendleton and his wife decided to stay in Greenwood where he grew up.
He supports the mayor’s vision for downtown and appreciates the idea of attracting more young professionals. But one of his top priorities would be making sure Greenwood keeps its identity, he said.
"My parents and grandparents loved it, so making sure that stays in tact," Pendleton said.
"But I also hope to bring a different view, a fresh perspective. My professional background looking at financial analyses lends itself to this job, and will help me make decisions that both reflect what the community wants but also what makes the most financial sense."
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”The Pendleton File” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Bradley Pendleton
Age: 28
Family: Wife, Hannah
Occupation: Assistant director of non-public schools at Indiana Department of Education
Education: Greenwood High School; Indiana University
Memberships: Greenwood Christian Church; Indiana University Alumni Association
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Name: Mike Campbell
Age: 66
Family: Wife, Maggie; 2 adult children
Occupation: Retired
Education: Emmerich Manual High School; Bob Jones University; Indiana Wesleyan University
Political experience: Greenwood City Council member since 2012; ran for Greenwood mayor
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Name: Randy Goodin
Age: 58
Family: Wife, Regina; 3 adult children
Occupation: Project manager at Elekta
Education: Columbus North High School; Ivy Tech – Columbus
Military service: United State Air Force 1981-1984
Memberships: Toastmasters
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Name: John Asher
Age: 51
Family: Single
Occupation: Director of field services at Indiana’s Integrated Public Safety Commission
Education: Franklin Community High School
Political experience: Pleasant Township Advisory Board
Memberships: Chief and president of the Needham Fire Department
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Name: Bob Dine
Age: 65
Family: 4 adult children
Occupation: Retired, Greenwood Police Department
Education: Greenwood High School; Franklin College
Political experience: Greenwood City Council since 2018
Memberships: Sons of the American Legion; Loyal Order of the Moose; Greenwood Masonic Lodge
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Name: Drew Foster
Age: 40
Occupation: Deputy prosecutor, Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office
Education: Greenwood High School; Franklin College; Indiana University McKinney School of Law
Political Experience: Greenwood City Council since 2018
Memberships: Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church; Indiana Alpha SAE Housing Corporation
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Name: Justin Kloer
Age: 40
Family: Wife, Inna
Occupation: Integrations and data manager, Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors
Education: Indiana Academy; Bachelor’s degree, Indiana University; MBA, University of Indianapolis
Memberships: Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy; American Society of Quality; Association for Supply Chain Management; National and State Associations of Realtors; former Board of Directors for the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About the job” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Greenwood City Council At-Large
Term: Four years
Pay: $12,612 per year
Duties: Set annual spending for the city, make policy changes, adopt new local rules and ordinances, approve new taxes, appoint members to various city boards.
At-Large: Represents all Greenwood residents regardless of district.
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