Chesterton Tribune

 

 

School referendum and one town primary race to be on ballot May 7

Back To Front Page

 

By KEVIN NEVERS

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).

 

Posted 2/11/2019

 
 
 
 

 

 

Search This Site:

Custom Search