GOP Appoints Wiggins As Mayor

It was over in only 22 minutes - and Ernie Wiggins was chosen as the next mayor of Warsaw.

Selected by a Republican caucus vote of seven to five, Wiggins said afterwards, "My immediate concern right now is to get with Jeff Plank. It's one thing to be involved in the city council, it's another thing to be on the other side of the desk."

Wiggins, 47, told the precinct committeemen before the vote that he wanted Warsaw to be a place where future citizens could be proud to grow up.

"The spirit of a community is its citizens," he said.

Emphasizing his background as a certified public accountant and his experience as president of the city council and a member of the Board of Works, he said he would be able to work closely with the city's department heads and with the clerk-treasurer.

"I feel the next mayor needs to view this position as their primary responsibility," he said, and promised the caucus that he had the backing of his family and his business partners to dedicate his time to being mayor.

Wiggins said after the vote that he would reassess his performance after completing this term, but expects to run for mayor in 1999.

The precinct caucus was called when Warsaw Mayor Jeff Plank announced Jan. 17 his intention to leave his office to take a position in the private sector. Plank said he would leave office on March 1 or March 14, depending on the transition with his successor.

The caucus, which began at 7 p.m. in the city council chambers, gave each of the three candidates a chance to speak. Wiggins and Mac Silveus, the two councilmen who filed for the position, kept their remarks short and to the point.

Silveus, 75, said he has lived in Warsaw all his life and had a strong business background. He also said he had "learned to work with people by listening."

His nine years on the council and his work with city and business budgets, Silveus said, helped qualify him for the job.

His rapport with the city's department heads made him confident that "we will work well together for the welfare of the city."

For those committeemen who might be concerned about his age, Silveus said, "I'm in extremely good health. I feel age also enhances knowledge and makes a person wiser."

The third candidate, Carl David Saint, 18, declined making a formal statement.

The precinct committeemen had no questions for the candidates, and none of the approximately 50 members of the public in attendance offered comments.

Adjourning privately at 7:15 p.m. to cast their votes, the committeemen returned seven minutes later to announce their choice of Wiggins as mayor.

Saint said later that he filed for the position because "I just wanted a better city for our youth."

He said his administration would have focused on supporting a juvenile center and on rehabilitating older houses in Warsaw.

A drywall hanger in his first political experience, Saint said the caucus should "vote for a better community for our children."

He also said if he was not appointed mayor Thursday, he would run again, "so I could get out and talk to people."

Wiggins, who represents the city's 3rd District, said he had been contacted by some people interested in taking his council seat, but had no recommendations for his replacement.

Candidates who wish to file for Wiggins' seat on the Warsaw city council should contact county auditor Charlene Knispel, the Republican Party secretary.