Thallemer Not Seeking Re-election As Warsaw Mayor
January 10, 2023 at 1:16 a.m.
Thallemer Not Seeking Re-election As Warsaw Mayor
By David [email protected]
Thallemer, 67, announced Monday morning that he will not seek re-election this year.
“I just wanted to let you know that this will be my last year as mayor of the city of Warsaw,” he said in an interview with local media in his office. “2023 - got a lot to do, it’s going to be a great year, but it’s going to be my last year as mayor for the city of Warsaw.”
He said it’s been an “agonizing” decision and very tough, but he will be 68 this year and has been with the city since 1995. He said it’s been a difficult decision because he loves what he’s doing and feels like he’s made a difference.
“This kind of job is relationship-based. It really is, and I’ve spent the last 25 years building relationships - in the community, at the state level, with our municipal organization, all the mayors, the commissioners, the U.S. 30 Coalition. I’ve created a lot of very good relationships and that’s really the most important thing, to me, as far as when something needs to be done: You’ve got a relationship with somebody, it’s a lot easier to sit down and talk,” he said.
Thallemer started on the Warsaw Plan Commission in 1995 at the request of then-Mayor Jeff Plank, became a Warsaw Common Councilman in 2000 for three terms and is finishing up his third term as mayor.
“So at the end of this next year, it will be 29 years with the city - and the best job I’ve ever had. And I love being an eye doctor,” he said, referring to his job as an ophthalmologist. “But this has been a great job, and I’ve got my seventh grandchild on the way this year. I’m really ready to turn this over to someone else. Someone capable. We’ve got so much to do this year, and there’s so much to do this year, and that’s good stuff. But, this community has always got a lot of stuff to do and it’s not going to slow down.”
Thallemer thanked the community for allowing him to guide it for the last dozen years.
“This community has just been a great community. The energy in this community, the willingness for folks to get together and solve problems. We’re looking at the foundations, all the organizations in this community - the Chamber, KEDCO, OrthoWorx; our neighbors - town of Winona Lake, Grace College, this is just truly a community that really values our heritage, what we’ve got, what we’ve had, but knowing that we have to move ahead. I’m just been blessed to be a big part of that,” he said.
Not all of the city’s projects will be finished by the time Thallemer finishes his tenure. He would like to see the housing projects be completed, but “I’ve just learned those things - they’re taking time. We’ve got street projects. The parks projects will be done. The maintenance facility will be done in March. In August, the (Center Lake) Pavilion should be done. But, they’re just going to get done when they get done, and if they happen to get done while I’m mayor - great. A lot of the projects that I’ve initiated, started won’t be done when I’m done.”
He said the city’s got some projects coming up that will be exciting, but they take time.
“They just need that guidance, those relationships to make sure those projects get done,” Thallemer said.
Asked if there’s a project he’s most proud of and he listed the establishment and development of the Warsaw Tech Park.
“That was one of the first things I wanted to do. We put some great partners in there, and I think we’re getting ready to put some more in, so that’s just something that was necessary, that was needed and it helps in our community with our orthopedic base. It certainly assists a lot of those companies coming in,” he said.
The department heads had their regularly scheduled department head meeting Monday morning and that’s when Thallemer told them about his decision.
“I told them that nobody is more important in this community than they are, than that group. I may decide what I want done and what my vision is, but they do it. And they’re great - I’ve got a fantastic group of department heads and I wanted to tell them first,” he said.
He followed that by calling Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Mike Ragan and telling him.
Being mayor is very demanding of the person’s time and a 24/7 job. Thallemer said he didn’t want to get to the point where he didn’t have the energy for the job, though he’s been able to have balance in his life.
“This has been a very demanding job, and I feel like I have worked very hard at it, but that’s because I like it. I’m not trying to puff myself up, I’m just saying I’ve enjoyed it and that’s what’s really got me driven because I like it. I love the community. Love what we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
Thallemer said he’s learned that the relationships one builds “help you stay ahead of things. If there’s a problem, sometimes they’re unavoidable, but I’m still the lead dog and I hear about the problems. Can’t avoid everything. But this job requires a lot of energy. Twelve straight years of good stuff.”
The Covid pandemic was a little difficult and changed the way people think including about public health, he said.
“It was a time where there was a lot of anxiety. No one quite knew the right answer, but I think that folks really relied on someone telling them what to do, and we tried to do that with our press conferences and heard a lot of people thank us for that. At the end of the day, we were learning as we were going along,” he said.
No one becomes mayor if they want everyone to like them, but “you want to do what’s right for the community collectively, and that’s really why I do what I do. I wish I could make everybody happy, we all do, but you can’t. Everybody’s got an opinion and I certainly understand that,” Thallemer said.
Whoever the next mayor is, he offered this piece of advice: “I think relationships are huge, and building those relationships. I didn’t think I’d have any need to get involved with the (Kosciusko) County Health Department. All of a sudden, I’m calling (KCHD Administrator) Bob Weaver every day. I’m calling Dr. (William) Remington. That’s just an example of those relationships and it’s so much easier to just call somebody.”
Having those relationships, he said, is something a person has to be able to do.
“I’ve got a relationship with a lot of state legislators. I’ve got a relationship with the governor. I’ve got a relationship with a lot of the orthopedic leaders in the community, to the point where I feel like I can pick the phone up and call any one of those people at any time; and if there’s a need, I’ll listen. Because I’m not dialing somebody every five minutes, I do it when it’s necessary,” he said.
Whoever steps next into the mayor’s office, he said, “has got to have those relationships and have to start in the community. You have to start with all of those groups I’ve mentioned - the foundations, Chamber, KEDCO, OrthoWorx, and then have to go out and start meeting all of them folks that are involved with the orthopedic companies. It’s critical.”
The community has to trust that they’re doing it for the right reason, he said, and not just to “stick it to somebody” or promote their own business. The community has to feel that the mayor is truly trying to do what’s best for the community “and that’s the hard part because we all don’t agree.”
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Thallemer, 67, announced Monday morning that he will not seek re-election this year.
“I just wanted to let you know that this will be my last year as mayor of the city of Warsaw,” he said in an interview with local media in his office. “2023 - got a lot to do, it’s going to be a great year, but it’s going to be my last year as mayor for the city of Warsaw.”
He said it’s been an “agonizing” decision and very tough, but he will be 68 this year and has been with the city since 1995. He said it’s been a difficult decision because he loves what he’s doing and feels like he’s made a difference.
“This kind of job is relationship-based. It really is, and I’ve spent the last 25 years building relationships - in the community, at the state level, with our municipal organization, all the mayors, the commissioners, the U.S. 30 Coalition. I’ve created a lot of very good relationships and that’s really the most important thing, to me, as far as when something needs to be done: You’ve got a relationship with somebody, it’s a lot easier to sit down and talk,” he said.
Thallemer started on the Warsaw Plan Commission in 1995 at the request of then-Mayor Jeff Plank, became a Warsaw Common Councilman in 2000 for three terms and is finishing up his third term as mayor.
“So at the end of this next year, it will be 29 years with the city - and the best job I’ve ever had. And I love being an eye doctor,” he said, referring to his job as an ophthalmologist. “But this has been a great job, and I’ve got my seventh grandchild on the way this year. I’m really ready to turn this over to someone else. Someone capable. We’ve got so much to do this year, and there’s so much to do this year, and that’s good stuff. But, this community has always got a lot of stuff to do and it’s not going to slow down.”
Thallemer thanked the community for allowing him to guide it for the last dozen years.
“This community has just been a great community. The energy in this community, the willingness for folks to get together and solve problems. We’re looking at the foundations, all the organizations in this community - the Chamber, KEDCO, OrthoWorx; our neighbors - town of Winona Lake, Grace College, this is just truly a community that really values our heritage, what we’ve got, what we’ve had, but knowing that we have to move ahead. I’m just been blessed to be a big part of that,” he said.
Not all of the city’s projects will be finished by the time Thallemer finishes his tenure. He would like to see the housing projects be completed, but “I’ve just learned those things - they’re taking time. We’ve got street projects. The parks projects will be done. The maintenance facility will be done in March. In August, the (Center Lake) Pavilion should be done. But, they’re just going to get done when they get done, and if they happen to get done while I’m mayor - great. A lot of the projects that I’ve initiated, started won’t be done when I’m done.”
He said the city’s got some projects coming up that will be exciting, but they take time.
“They just need that guidance, those relationships to make sure those projects get done,” Thallemer said.
Asked if there’s a project he’s most proud of and he listed the establishment and development of the Warsaw Tech Park.
“That was one of the first things I wanted to do. We put some great partners in there, and I think we’re getting ready to put some more in, so that’s just something that was necessary, that was needed and it helps in our community with our orthopedic base. It certainly assists a lot of those companies coming in,” he said.
The department heads had their regularly scheduled department head meeting Monday morning and that’s when Thallemer told them about his decision.
“I told them that nobody is more important in this community than they are, than that group. I may decide what I want done and what my vision is, but they do it. And they’re great - I’ve got a fantastic group of department heads and I wanted to tell them first,” he said.
He followed that by calling Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Mike Ragan and telling him.
Being mayor is very demanding of the person’s time and a 24/7 job. Thallemer said he didn’t want to get to the point where he didn’t have the energy for the job, though he’s been able to have balance in his life.
“This has been a very demanding job, and I feel like I have worked very hard at it, but that’s because I like it. I’m not trying to puff myself up, I’m just saying I’ve enjoyed it and that’s what’s really got me driven because I like it. I love the community. Love what we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
Thallemer said he’s learned that the relationships one builds “help you stay ahead of things. If there’s a problem, sometimes they’re unavoidable, but I’m still the lead dog and I hear about the problems. Can’t avoid everything. But this job requires a lot of energy. Twelve straight years of good stuff.”
The Covid pandemic was a little difficult and changed the way people think including about public health, he said.
“It was a time where there was a lot of anxiety. No one quite knew the right answer, but I think that folks really relied on someone telling them what to do, and we tried to do that with our press conferences and heard a lot of people thank us for that. At the end of the day, we were learning as we were going along,” he said.
No one becomes mayor if they want everyone to like them, but “you want to do what’s right for the community collectively, and that’s really why I do what I do. I wish I could make everybody happy, we all do, but you can’t. Everybody’s got an opinion and I certainly understand that,” Thallemer said.
Whoever the next mayor is, he offered this piece of advice: “I think relationships are huge, and building those relationships. I didn’t think I’d have any need to get involved with the (Kosciusko) County Health Department. All of a sudden, I’m calling (KCHD Administrator) Bob Weaver every day. I’m calling Dr. (William) Remington. That’s just an example of those relationships and it’s so much easier to just call somebody.”
Having those relationships, he said, is something a person has to be able to do.
“I’ve got a relationship with a lot of state legislators. I’ve got a relationship with the governor. I’ve got a relationship with a lot of the orthopedic leaders in the community, to the point where I feel like I can pick the phone up and call any one of those people at any time; and if there’s a need, I’ll listen. Because I’m not dialing somebody every five minutes, I do it when it’s necessary,” he said.
Whoever steps next into the mayor’s office, he said, “has got to have those relationships and have to start in the community. You have to start with all of those groups I’ve mentioned - the foundations, Chamber, KEDCO, OrthoWorx, and then have to go out and start meeting all of them folks that are involved with the orthopedic companies. It’s critical.”
The community has to trust that they’re doing it for the right reason, he said, and not just to “stick it to somebody” or promote their own business. The community has to feel that the mayor is truly trying to do what’s best for the community “and that’s the hard part because we all don’t agree.”
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