There will be only
a single contested race in Duneland’s municipal primary election on May 7:
that between Chesterton Town Council Dane V. Lafata, D-3rd, and challenger
Robert Allison.
The deadline to
file expired at 12 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8.
All but three
incumbents--one on each of the Tri-Town councils--filed for re-election.
Choosing not to do so were Chesterton Town Council Member Nate Cobbs, R-4th;
Porter Town Council Member Ross LeBleu, D-4th, and Burns Harbor Town Council
Member Kevin Tracy, R-at large.
Cobbs told the
Chesterton Tribune today that his responsibilities both at work and at
home precluded another term on the council, although he suggested that he
may run again at some point in the future.
All registered
voters in Duneland, however, will still have a good and sufficient reason to
go to the polls on May 7, no matter where they live: the referendum on an
additional property-tax rate of up to 22 cents per $100 assessed valuation,
which the Duneland School Board is seeking “to recruit and retain
outstanding teachers and staff.”
In 2012 Duneland
voters narrowly approved--by 4,093 Yes votes to 3,940 No
votes, a difference of only 133--an additional rate of 22 cents per $100 of
AV, which was expected to raise around $5.6 million per year and was
justified at the time as necessary to plug a growing budget shortfall and
preempt anticipated staffing cuts. That additional rate expires this year.
The Duneland School
Board will host an information meeting on the referendum at 7 p.m. tonight
at the Baugher Center, 100 W. Indiana Ave. in Chesterton.
The final candidate
slates for the municipal primary election:
Chesterton
* Clerk-Treasurer:
Courtney Udvare (D); incumbent Stephanie Kuziela (R).
* 1st District:
incumbent Jim Ton (R).
* 2nd District:
incumbent Lloyd (Buck) Kittredge (R).
* 3rd District:
incumbent Dane V. Lafata (D) and Robert Allison (D).
* 4th District:
Sharon Darnell (D).
* 5th District:
incumbent Emerson DeLaney (R).
Porter
* Clerk-Treasurer:
incumbent Carol Pomeroy (R).
* 1st District:
incumbent Erik Wagner (D).
* 2nd District:
incumbent Greg Stinson (D).
* 3rd District:
incumbent William “Bill” Lopez (D).
* 4th District:
David Phillips (D).
* 5th District:
incumbent Brian Finley (R).
Burns Harbor
* Clerk-Treasurer:
incumbent Jane Jordan (D).
* At-large (vote
for five): incumbent Nicholas Loving (D), incumbent Raymond (Ray) Poparad
(D), and incumbent Eric Hull (D); incumbent Toni Biancardi (R), Roseann
Bozak (R), and Walter (Wally) Macchiarella (R).
Beverly Shores
* Clerk-Treasurer:
incumbent Ellen Hundt (D).
* At-large (vote
for five): John M. Blackburn (D), Thomas Weber (D), and Susan H. Loeb (D).
Valparaiso
* Mayor: Debra
“Deb” Porter (D) and Bill Durnell (D); Matthew R. Murphy (R).
* Clerk-Treasurer:
Erin Stojic (D); Holly Taylor (R).
* At-large (vote
for two): Todd Etzler (D), Heath Carter (D), and Elizabeth (Liz) Wuerffel
(D); incumbent George Douglas (R) and Evan Costas (R).
* 1st District:
incumbent Diana Reed (D); Holly Howe (R).
* 2nd District:
incumbent Robert (Bob) Cotton (D); Tom Krueger (R).
* 3rd District:
Kevin Cornett (D) and Drew Wenger (D); Walter Dougherty (R) and Casey
Schmidt (R).
* 4th District:
Angela Crossin (D); Jack Pupillo (R).
* 5th District:
Gilles Charriere (D); Peter M. Anderson (R).
Portage
* Mayor: Leo T.
Hatch Jr. (D) Sue I. Lynch (D), Christopher D. Stidham (D), and Andy Maletta
(D); John Cannon (R).
* Clerk-Treasurer:
Elizabeth (Turzai) Modesto (D) and Nina Rivas (D); Deborah Lee (R).
* At-large (vote
for two): incumbent Mark S. Oprisko (D), Ferdinand Alvarez (D), Debbie
Podgorski (D), and Steve Sonaty (D); Austin Bonta (R).
* 1st District:
Gina Giese-Hurst (D).
* 2nd District:
Frank O’Reilly (D) and incumbent Patrick Clem (D).
* 3rd District:
incumbent Scott Williams (D); Antonio C. Gutierrez (R).
* 4th District:
Brian M. Gulley (D) and Robert Bob Hallmen (D); William P. Fekete (R) and
Jerry Butler (R).
* 5th District:
incumbent Collin W. Czilli (D).