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Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and city councilman Ron Shoemaker are on Tuesday’s primary election ballot, seeking the Republican nomination for mayor in the November general election. Each candidate was asked to respond to the following: “Identify the three most urgent issues the city of Warsaw will face following the next election and explain how you will address these issues.” Candidates were limited to a total of 1,000 words. Published here are their responses.
Ron Shoemaker
Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to discuss some of the important issues in Warsaw.
There are many issues facing the city of Warsaw in the next four years. Maintaining businesses and attracting new business are very important, however, I see three other issues as being most urgent: (1) developing workforce housing, (2) re-establishing community friendly policies and (3) repairing roads and infrastructure. We all agree that Warsaw is a wonderful city. We need to remember the needs of Warsaw and our community.
Developing Workforce Housing
Warsaw is the orthopedic capital of the world and we have diverse housing needs.
Over the course of this election, I’ve made it a priority to initiate one-on-one conversations with the residents of this great city, and one issue that seems to come up time and time again during those conversations is the housing shortage. Warsaw is a great place to work and a great place to live, but it is increasingly difficult to find affordable housing in the area. This lack of “workforce housing” is a significant concern and needs to be addressed.
I’ve been working closely with local home builders, realtors and developers to identify exactly where the need lies and to brainstorm creative solutions. As of March 31 of this year, there were only 108 homes actively for sale in all of the Warsaw Community School district, constituting 1.85 months of supply (the standard for a balanced market being six months). If we break down those numbers even further, we see there were only twelve homes available in the same area between $150,000 to $199,900, reflecting 0.72 months of supply. These are crisis level numbers.
The rising cost of land, development and construction materials are all serving as deterrents for builders and developers in our area. It’s time to start thinking outside the box. It’s time for the city to put a plan in place to partner with the builders and developers to incentivize new housing opportunities in Warsaw.
Reestablishing standard operating procedures of Community Friendly Policies
Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to discuss some of the important issues in Warsaw.
There are many issues facing the city of Warsaw in the next four years. Maintaining businesses and attracting new business are very important, however, I see three other issues as being most urgent: (1) developing workforce housing, (2) re-establishing community friendly policies and (3) repairing roads and infrastructure. We all agree that Warsaw is a wonderful city. We need to remember the needs of Warsaw and our community.
Developing Workforce Housing
Warsaw is the orthopedic capital of the world and we have diverse housing needs.
Over the course of this election, I’ve made it a priority to initiate one-on-one conversations with the residents of this great city, and one issue that seems to come up time and time again during those conversations is the housing shortage. Warsaw is a great place to work and a great place to live, but it is increasingly difficult to find affordable housing in the area. This lack of “workforce housing” is a significant concern and needs to be addressed.
I’ve been working closely with local home builders, realtors and developers to identify exactly where the need lies and to brainstorm creative solutions. As of March 31 of this year, there were only 108 homes actively for sale in all of the Warsaw Community School district, constituting 1.85 months of supply (the standard for a balanced market being six months). If we break down those numbers even further, we see there were only twelve homes available in the same area between $150,000 to $199,900, reflecting 0.72 months of supply. These are crisis level numbers.
The rising cost of land, development and construction materials are all serving as deterrents for builders and developers in our area. It’s time to start thinking outside the box. It’s time for the city to put a plan in place to partner with the builders and developers to incentivize new housing opportunities in Warsaw.
Re-establishing standard operating procedures of Community Friendly Policies Another concern I hear frequently on the campaign trail involves the Warsaw Police Department. Most members of our police department serve this community with honor and distinction, but unfortunately recent events have resulted in a breakdown of trust between the public and the department. It is urgent that the next administration work to restore that trust by implementing a community friendly policing style.
But first, we need to be able to recognize when there is a problem. I would not praise, as Mayor Thallemer did, the conduct of an out-of-uniform law enforcement officer who lays hands on an elderly citizen before identifying himself as an officer and before attempting a friendly first interaction. We all have great respect for the police, and I certainly understand being charitable when they make mistakes. But there is a difference between being charitable and being blind. A mayor has to be able to see mistakes in order to correct them. If a law enforcement officer or any city employee acted out of line under my administration as mayor, I would recognize it, and I would put a stop to it.
Next, we need to ensure that any and all city employees understand that they are always to be respectful and courteous in their interactions with the public. We serve the citizens. As mayor, I would not tolerate any behavior from any city employee that is demeaning, harassing, or disrespectful to the public.
These changes have to start with the mayor. With the right leadership, we can regain the public’s trust and build a better tomorrow for Warsaw.
Repairing Roads and Infrastructure
Finally, we need to address the state of our roads and infrastructure. We need to start taking care of what we have.
As mayor, I will ensure adequate funding to maintain road repair, including painting, striping schedules, and pothole repair. By incorporating ongoing maintenance into our budget, we can plan ahead for larger road projects without neglecting our existing infrastructure. We will work with the state of Indiana to address our traffic congestion issues.
While developing and repairing our infrastructure, we must be mindful of members of our community who are disabled. I will work to update and implement Warsaw’s Americans with Disabilities Transition Plan, ensuring that our city is safe and accessible to all of our citizens.
I will also work to integrate our parks and multimodal facilities in plans where federal grants are available to enhance Warsaw’s chance to utilize federal transportation money in our overall roads and infrastructure plan.
I am looking forward to the opportunity of being a mayor for everyone.
