Warsaw mayoral candidate Tony Miller said he is running for mayor to continue fostering economic growth and to bring new ideas to the city.
Miller filed for the mayor seat Thursday morning.
Thursday afternoon, Miller discussed his run for mayor.
Current at-large city councilman and local optometrist Joe Thallemer previously announced he is running for mayor.
Filing ends Friday at noon. The primary is May 3, and the general election is Nov. 8.
Miller, who has served as president of Instrumedical Technologies Inc. for the past 30 years, said it has been on his mind for awhile to run for major.
He said what really sparked his interest in running predominately came with the potential closure of CR 100, which he was opposed to.
Miller said as president of Instru-Med, his job is day-to-day sales and budgeting at the company that employs approximately 80 to 100 people.
He said he would hope to use that budgeting experience to benefit the city.
In 2000, Miller ran for county commissioner, but was defeated by Ron Truex.
Miller said Wiggins has done an amazing job as mayor, and he hopes to follow in his footsteps if he is elected mayor.
Miller spoke about his opponent Thallemer's run for mayor.
"I think the world of Joe, he would make a great mayor and loves the city without a doubt as much as I do," Miller said.
Miller said he has no doubt that Thallemer wants to do the right thing as mayor for the city, but he does, too.
However, he said he did not support Thallemer's vote in 2000 against bringing Meijer to town, and Thallemer's votes against Menard's and Martin's.
Miller owns an apartment at 727 N. Detroit St., where he lives. He also owns a home at 1284 E. CR 450N, Warsaw, and owns three properties in Florida.
"I am a resident of the city, and if you look at my voting record I have voted here for 10 years," Miller said.
He said he was born and grew up in Muncie and his parents had a lake cottage on Chapman Lake.
He got married and moved to Warsaw in 1976, and has three grown children, five grandchildren and one grandchild on the way.
Miller said although he has not held a political office before, he has experience working with budgets and can bring a management level and new ideas to the city.
He said he thinks it is a positive thing that he does not have political experience.
"I think being a mayor is a full-time position, and a full-time responsibility," Miller said.
He said if elected mayor one of the first things he wants to do is have the city go through an annexation process.
He also said he wants to work on improved communication between the city and county for future growth."Every time you turn the corner there is a stumbling block when a business wants to come to town, there are traffic problems. We'll fix the problems and work with the county and state," Miller said.
He said his contention is if the city limits grow, the city residents' taxes will potentially decrease.
