Greenwood residents discuss future mayor
To the Editor:
We are long-time Greenwood residents and business owners. We come from the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and some of us from no political party. We care about Greenwood.
In the May Republican primary, Greenwood voters made it clear that they wanted a change in leadership. Mark Myers won a decisive victory. The General Election is fast approaching and voters are trying to make up their minds between independent David Payne, Republican Mark Myers, and Libertarian Jeff Spoonamore.
We believe voters should have all the information available on each candidate. There are a few facts that have never been made clear.
Mark Myers is Charlie Henderson’s nephew-in-law. It is also a fact that Henderson held a $500-a-plate fundraiser for Myers in June and has contributed money to his campaign.
Also, in the interest of full disclosure, independent candidate David Payne’s wife is a member of the Greenwood Redevelopment Commission.
The voters spoke clearly in May that they wanted a new direction for Greenwood. We are not sure what the close family relationship between Henderson and Myers means, nor how much Myers will be influenced by Henderson’s financial support, but we think the public has a right to know these facts before they go to the polls.
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2 Responses to “Greenwood residents discuss future mayor”
I am the treasurer for the Myers campaign and have been involved in nearly all of the committee’s meetings. Mayor Henderson is not involved in the campaign and will have no control of influence in the Myers administration. Mark did not spend the time and effort to challenge Mayor Henderson in the primary to continue his policies. While I understand the Payne campaign’s desire to run against Mayor Henderson rather than Mark Myers, it is time for the Payne campaign and its surrogates to offer something to voters other than “I don’t like Mayor Henderson”.
Comment made on October 23rd, 2011 at 4:52 pmMark Myers has been my friend for over 30 years. I have been treasurer of his campaign since its inception. I have spent countless hours with Mark and his other advisors. The observations and opinions expressed in this letter are based on both firsthand knowledge and decades of experience.
Greenwood, like most municipalities, faces difficult challenges. We are experiencing the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. The recently approved $24 million budget contains a $1.9 million deficit. The state has capped property tax rates and assessed values have been declining. Development is stagnant. Unemployment and depressed wages have stunted income tax receipts. We cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results. We need a mayor who has been exposed to new ideas and is open to change.
Mark’s experience and qualifications are far superior to his opponent. Mark knows the city from the inside from his 14 years as a fireman, patrolman, detective and SWAT team member. What separates Mark from his opponent is his life beyond the city. Mark served for 6 years as a missionary in Paraguay. After 9/11, he served as director of security for the U.S. Embassy in Ascension, Paraguay. For the past several years, he has worked in the private sector as a security consultant serving large organizations such as Eli Lilly. He has managed as many as 300 employees and has experience with state of the art management systems, quality improvement programs and information technology.
Mark’s experience, commitment and character are reflected in his campaign. He chose the difficult road and challenged and defeated Mayor Henderson in the Republican primary. His campaign has been positive and filled with ideas and concrete proposals. He has worked tirelessly to understand the challenges facing the city and propose solutions. Mark has spent considerable time with experts in municipal finance, grants, bonds, information technology and management efficiency, all of which were impressed by his inquisitive nature and willingness to consider new ideas and approaches. Throughout the campaign, I have privately heard many expressions of the same sentiment, “Your guy gets it”.
Effective mayors are more than mere policy wonks. Our Mayor needs to enjoy and excel at interacting with constituents, council members, employees and officials at the state, county and neighboring communities. Mark has reached out to state officials, county officials, likely future council members and representatives from our neighboring cities. He revived the city Republican committee. He has been endorsed by Governor Daniels, Congressman Pence, the realtors’ association and the builders’ association. Mark understands the need to build consensus and has been building the relationships necessary to actually accomplish something.
Mark’s campaign has also been a testament to his character. I am proud to be associated with his efforts. Over the past several days in media releases, letters to the editor, internet posts, and door-to-door visits, the opposing campaign and its surrogates have made some wild allegations about the current administration and have suggested that Mayor Henderson would be part of a Myers administration. None of these allegations are true. The fact that Mark’s opponents choose to run against the mayor he defeated in the primary, rather than face him directly, speaks volumes about the candidates. There will be no 11th hour smear tactics from Mark’s campaign, only commitment to encouraging participation in the election process.
On November 8th, please join me in supporting my good friend, Mark Myers.
Samuel Hodson
Comment made on October 24th, 2011 at 7:49 amLeave a Comment