About two hours before the deadline Friday, Jason Zaugg filed for the open Winona Lake Town Council Ward 5 seat.
He will be up against Paul Heaton, Scott Wickens and Sarah Hill at the Republican caucus at 6 p.m. Monday at Winona Lake Town Hall. Councilman Rick Swaim resigned effective Oct. 1 to pursue other challenges.
In an interview Friday at the GOP headquarters downtown Warsaw, Zaugg, 45, said his family moved to the area when he was 5 years old.
“I grew up here, left for a couple years for work and came back to raise my family,” he stated. “So most of my life except four years.”
He currently works for a healthcare system.
As to why he decided to run for office, Zaugg said, “Honestly, I really hadn’t considered politics previously. I know quite a few of the folks that are currently involved with the town council in Winona and some of the positions. And I just had a friend kind of encourage me to look at it with the vacancy since I’m in the ward that is open. And just knowing some of the challenges facing the town and some of the things that really could use some input, I felt like I have a skillset that would be beneficial, useful.”
He said he has a business background and an MBA, so he felt like some of the issues the town council is dealing with right now would be well-served by someone with his insight.
There was no one specific issue in the town he was most interested in tackling if he is elected by the caucus to serve on the council.
“I just think as a whole, obviously, (Town Manager) Craig (Allebach) has given his retirement notice and there’s an opportunity for some folks to step forward and to start to engage in the community a little bit more. I’m probably in the tail end of the younger generation, but I think something that is needed and really kind of stepping into the next little bit. There’s a lot that’s transpired in Winona the last couple of years and most people are following along. I’ve seen that. There’s just an opportunity for those of us who have been here for a long time to start stepping in and be engaging,” he said.
Zaugg is a Warsaw Community High School graduate. He went to Cedarville University and earned his MBA at Grace College.
He’s been married to his wife for 22 years and they have a freshman at IWU and a senior at WCHS.
The next council person will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the voting caucus members to fill the office vacancy. There are five precinct committee persons eligible to vote in the caucus: Travis Trump, Wayne 1; Kathleen Keirn, Wayne 2; Bruce Shaffner, Wayne 3; Lisa Sands, Wayne 4; and Joe Hawn, Wayne 10.
Candidates must reside in Winona Lake Ward 5 and be a Republican in good standing. Eligible candidates will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the voting caucus.
Declarations of candidacy for the town council seat were due to be filed with Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Ragan no later than 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18. Ragan’s telephone number is 574-265-1430.