PIERCETON - Jerry F. Kreger, 65, has two decades of previous experience as a former Pierceton Town Board member and clerk-treasurer that he will bring with him to the board if he is elected Thursday in the Republican caucus.
He served 16 years on the town board, and then after a four-year hiatus he served four years as the town’s clerk-treasurer before Myra Mast took office, Kreger said in a telephone interview Sunday. In the 2023 Republican town convention, Kreger ran again against Mast, with Mast securing enough votes to continue as clerk-treasurer.
Board member Eric Trump, who took office Jan. 1 after winning one of the three town board seats in the Republican town convention in August, resigned from the board in May. A caucus to replace Trump will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 20 in the Pierceton Town Council Chamber, 105 W. Walnut St.
Along with Kreger, Gregory Chism and Chauncey Smith have filed for the seat on the Pierceton Town Board. Filing deadline is 6 p.m. Monday, June 17.
“With Eric stepping down, several people asked me to run because of my years of experience,” Kreger said.
When he had previously served on the town board, Kreger said there were a number of infrastructure projects they were able to get completed for the town, like the senior center, a second water tower, road upkeep and other upgrades. There also was the huge development with one of the two industrial parks in town, with the other industrial park being privately owned.
The senior center is the project he is most proud of the town board completing when he last served on the board. There had been a fallen gas station in town and Kreger and the other town board members worked on getting brownfield, motor vehicle highway and other grants to convert the station to the senior center. A “good group” of seniors also helped make it a reality after three to four years of applying for grants several times, he said. The building now houses the senior center, street department and police department.
Kreger started serving the town as a member of the park board years ago. Over the years, he’s accumulated years of experience and connections through his service that he believes will be beneficial to the town.
“I just want to be open-minded and listen to the town’s concerns. I want to make the town better,” Kreger said.
A 1977 Whitko High School graduate, he graduated from Manchester College - now Manchester University - with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He and his wife Dawn have five children and six grandchildren. He owned his own body shop until about 1982, and then worked for Petro’s/Buick GMC until he was elected clerk-treasurer. He’s now semi-retired.
Precinct committee voters for this caucus, according to Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Mike Ragan, are precinct committeemen Frank Rhoades and Tom Pletcher and vice precinct committeeman Mike Miner, a proxy by precinct committeewoman Gloria Miner.
The Pierceton Town Board member will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the members of the voting caucus to fill the vacancy in the office.
Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Ragan no later than 72 hours (6 p.m. June 17) prior to the start of the caucus.
Eligible candidates must reside in Pierceton, and be a Republican in good standing,
Candidates will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the voting caucus.