Six Republicans vie for three county council spots in primary

If voted in, candidates for Johnson County Council will have to make decisions on issues regarding the expansion of Interstate 69 through the county, and a new wing of the Johnson County jail.

Six Republicans are ready to take on those responsibilities and more as they face off in the primary.

Johnson County Council members make decisions about how county government spends its money. Last year, it approved two new tax increases, one for the expansion of the Johnson County jail, and another for a new Clark-Pleasant library branch.

The candidates are vying for three spots, and will face off in the fall against Amanda Stevenson-Holmes, a Democrat who is running unopposed. Council member Josh McCarty has chosen not to run for reelection. With absentee ballots already coming ahead for the June 2 primary, here is a look at where each of the candidates stand on the issues and their political backgrounds:

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Long-time politician says tax increases aren’t the answer

Ron Deer, who served on the Greenwood City Council for 28 years, has the life experience and local experience necessary to help make difficult decisions in Johnson County, Deer said.

One of his top priorities, shared by other candidates in the race, is to make sure the county is prepared for the expansion of Interstate 69, which will bridge the gap between Mooresville and Indianapolis and follow the route of State Road 37, he said.

“Monitoring the impact of I-69 construction on residents and businesses (is important),” Deer said. “It will go on no matter what happens. But what does this mean with how we deliver services? In that same perspective, with economic development, how do we use those opportunities?”

Deer also wants to see the county save more money and avoid raising taxes, he said.

“Cities, towns and political organizations should work together to purchase services and supplies at a larger rate,” Deer said. “In Johnson County, Edinburgh and Greenwood have to buy salt for the winter. If everyone bought salt (collectively), it could save money.”

Ex-military man focuses on infrastructure, farmers

Tim Frye, a former military member who served in Asia and Europe from 1969 to 1992, is a past president of the Indianapolis Kiwanis Club. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana’s seventh district in 2012, but was defeated.

Frye, who has lived in Johnson County for the last 16 years, said his familiarity with the county will give him a leg up in decision-making.

If elected, his focus would be on improving the county’s infrastructure, including its roads and bridges. He would also like to make sure any issues farmers are facing in rural parts of the county are listened to, and if possible, make positive changes for them, Frye said.

“Let’s say I was introduced to a farmer in Johnson County who presented me with a quagmire problem,” Frye said. “I wouldn’t just shake his hand. I would look into that, dig into his problem and see if that problem can be rectified or fixed by the government.”

Health professional focused on opioids, jail overcrowding

Griesemer, a member of the Johnson County Republican Party who ran for an Indiana House of Representatives spot last year in District 93, has the medical experience necessary to help the county with its opioid problem, Griesemer said.

“I am the only candidate (who) is running for Johnson County Council at-large that has the front line experience in this county’s opioid crisis. I’m a registered nurse and have my own company: Indianapolis Medical Consulting,” Griesemer said. “I’m the candidate most involved in the county through volunteering. I have experience working on the front line. I worked shifts at Valle Vista Hospital and worked with substance abuse.”

By increasing the resources available to people struggling with addiction, Johnson County can help mitigate those issues, she said.

Another priority of Griesemer’s if elected is maintaining law and order, she said.

“Once the new jail is up and running, it would be great if we could do what other counties have done in the past and house some of the overflow of other county’s inmates,” she said. “We could use our new structure to bring in revenue for our county to pay for an expanded structure, and help pay for our roads and other projects we would like to enhance in our county.”

State employee wants to help prioritize local finances

John Mallers, who also ran for a council seat in 2016, has state government experience on his resume.

Mallers is Indiana’s assistant deputy director of the Department of Child Services. He has a background in finance, working as the director of the budget division of the Department of Local Government Finance from 2007 to 2008, and working as a fiscal analyst for the Indiana House of Representative’s Ways and Means Committee from 2002 to 2004, he said.

One of Mallers’ priorities if elected is to help better guide the county financially, Mallers said.

“Johnson County was run well in the past with low taxes and prudent spending; the one concern by a lot of folks in the past couple of years was tax increases,” Mallers said. “The library was voted down significantly in a referendum and then approved by council.

“A lot of things need to be done and we need to prioritize those. My experience is with the county and budgeting and prioritizing what are the most important needs.”

Mallers would like to see the county improve its infrastructure more quickly in preparation for the I-69 expansion, he said.

“Since there’s a highway going through (White River) Township, just making sure we have everything ready for the increase in activity going on,” Mallers said. “We gotta make sure there’s more businesses here, and public safety is up for the challenge of new activities going on.”

Businessman focused on small businesses, public safety

Although Joshua Marshall has never held a public office office, he has the business and political experience needed for the county council position, he said.

As a precinct committeeman, Marshall served as a state delegate at the last four Indiana G.O.P. conventions, and as a national delegate at the Republican National Convention in 2016. He points to his 15 years of experience working in business—currently with Brite Systems in Indianapolis—as something that would help him as a council member, helping manage the county’s finances.

If elected, Marshall’s top priority would be public safety, he said.

“The biggest thing is working with the sheriff’s office and understanding what his needs are and the issues facing the county jail and budget and equipment constraints,” Marshall said. “With COVID-19 going on, how to best protect officers and help them to protect citizens.”

He also wants to ensure the county improves its infrastructure before the I-69 expansion, and said economic development will be key to making sure the county continues to provide opportunities for its growing population.

“With Bargersville, Franklin, Greenwood and Nineveh, I think small businesses across the county need support from the government,” Marshall said. “Being able to incentivize and encourage people to start a small business, and provide a platform for them to start and provide the right tools and policies can help them be successful.”

Incumbent says county will need to ‘tighten its belt’

John Myers, the only incumbent in the race, is a lifelong Johnson County resident and has served on the county council for eight years.

During his time in office, Myers is most proud of saving $3 million in the county’s rainy day fund last year, raising the salaries of county employees and working on the Johnson County jail expansion project, he said.

“We worked hard on that; they were really underpaid when I first came onto the council,” Myers said. “With the expansion for the jail, we worked for two years on that.”

Myers is seeking another term in hopes of continuing to work on the county’s roads, which are deteriorating, he said, and the county’s community corrections building, which he said is “outdated and falling apart.”

But while he wants to see those improvements made, the county may have to be more fiscally conservative due to the financial strain of the ongoing public health emergency that’s hit the economy hard, Myers said.

“We’ll have to see how long this drags out and we’ll probably have to tighten our belts,” he said.

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Johnson County Council At-Large

Represents: Johnson County as a whole

Duties: Approving the county budget, including how many sheriff’s deputies will patrol the roads and how much should be spent on road projects. Approves any new or increased taxes.

Term: 4 years

Pay: $8,594 (2019)

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Name: Ron Deer

Age: 70

Residence: Greenwood

Family: Adult daughter

Occupation: Management

Education: IUPUI, 1971

Memberships: None

Military Experience: None

Political experience: Greenwood City Council, 1987 to 2011

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Name: Tim Frye

Age: 71

Residence: Greenwood

Family: Wife and daughter

Occupation: Johnson County Public Library courier

Education: University of North Carolina, 1967

Memberships: American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars

Military Experience: U.S. Military, 1969 to 1992

Political experience: Ran for U.S. House of Representatives, 7th district of Indiana, 2012

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Name: Melinda Griesemer

Age: 48

Residence: Greenwood

Family: Daughter

Occupation: Owner/Director of Indianapolis Medical Consulting

Education: Purdue University, 1993 and 2017

Memberships: National Rifle Association, Mary Bryan Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, Johnson County Republican Women

Military Experience: None

Political experience: Ran in 2019 caucus election to replace Indiana State Rep. David Frizzell

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Name: John Mallers

Age: 54

Residence: Greenwood

Family: Wife and son

Occupation: Assistant deputy director, Indiana Department of Child Services

Education: Indiana University 1988, University of Cincinnati, 1992

Memberships: Association of Government Accountants

Military Experience: None

Political experience: Ran in 2016 for Johnson County Council

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Name: Joshua Marshall

Age: 38

Residence: Greenwood

Family: Wife and son

Occupation: Business Leader for Brite Systems

Education: University of Indianapolis, 2004 and 2010

Memberships: People Helping People, Lincoln Round Table, IMPD Motorcycle Drill Team board

Military Experience: None

Political experience: Precinct Committeeman 2016, Republican National Committee Delegate 2016, Indiana State Delegate, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020

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Name: John Myers

Age: 54

Residence: Trafalgar

Family: Wife, son and daughter

Occupation: Greenwood police officer

Education: Greenwood Community High School, 1985

Memberships: Johnson County Republican Women’s Club, Johnson County G.O.P., Association of Indiana Counties

Military Experience: None

Political experience: Johnson County Council member since 2012.

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