Chesterton Tribune

 

 

GOP Caucus elects Tracy to Burns Harbor Council, Dunn to Liberty Township Board

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By JEFF SCHULTZ

Kevin Tracy will join the Burns Harbor Town Council while Terry E. Dunn will be added to the Liberty Township Advisory Board and William Casbon to the Porter Twp. Advisory Board after being elected Monday night by a Republican caucus held at the Porter County Administration Building.

The atmosphere was very laid back as County Republican Chair Michael Simpson announced that there was only one candidate running for each of the three seats the caucus needed to fill.

Simpson kept things short by skipping candidate speeches, saying it would be “a little overkill and unnecessary” to have them, and allowed the precinct committeemen to vote by calling yea or nay for Dunn and Casbon’s appointments.

Voting in favor of electing Dunn were precinct committeemen Jacquelyn Sterling (Liberty 3/4); John Evans (Liberty 5); and Krista Tracy (Liberty 6).

Dunn will succeed Jeff Larson on the board, who resigned after being elected to the County Council in the 2016 general election. A Liberty Twp. resident for 36 years and a bus driver for Duneland Schools, she said this will be her first time serving on a public board but she does have past experience working for the Liberty Twp. Assessor.

“I’m looking forward to everything that is involved (on the board),” Dunn told the Chesterton Tribune. The two other members on the advisory board include Sterling and Tim Cole.

Liberty Twp. resident Matt Keiser had filed his candidacy for the board vacancy on Friday but withdrew before the caucus. Keiser is a member of the County’s Stormwater Advisory Board and Indiana statute rules that a person cannot hold two or more “lucrative” public offices, or in this case cannot serve both the County and another government entity, according to Voters Registration Republican Director Sundae Schoon.

Regarding the Burns Harbor Council seat, Simpson said the appointment falls under a unique state law that allows the party chair to make it themselves rather than by a caucus. There are two precincts within Burns Harbor, but one -- Westchester 6 -- only encompasses industrial property, meaning the only voting precinct committeemen would be from Westchester 11.

However, if fewer than two precinct committeemen are eligible members of a caucus, the party chair will fill the vacancy. Simpson said Tracy is his choice.

Tracy will serve the remaining years of former Town Councilman Andy Bozak’s term. Bozak has joined the County Council as first district representative, replacing Jim Biggs.

Tracy said he had worked as Bozak’s campaign manager when he ran for the Town Council in 2015 and connected with Bozak’s pledge for transparency and openness.

“I like the direction (Bozak) had for his platform,” Tracy said and added he will strive for the same things. He said he admires the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by the current Council members which is a mix of longtime and newer residents.

Tracy has served the past year on the Board of Zoning Appeals. His wife, Krista Tracy, also serves on the Town’s Plan Commission.

Tracy said he encourages residents to contact him through his Facebook page or by his e-mail address listed there.

 

 

Posted 1/24/2017

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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