By Adam Studzinski
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington mayoral candidates had a chance to tout their qualifications for the position during a roundtable hosted by WJBC Thursday night.
Four of the five candidates in the Feb. 28 primary participated.
Incumbent Tari Renner said his time as mayor, and other experiences in local government, put him in a unique position to lead the city.
“We do have a downtown plan. We do have a community plan and we’re working it. We are leveraging our assets for the future,” said Renner. “Bloomington is financially in great shape. We are on the right track and this is not the right time, frankly, for amateur hour.”
Robert Fike touted his experience as a fire fighter in the city.
“You could say I’m also involved in crisis management because there were quite a few crisis’s that I had to deal with,” said Fike. “From gunshot wounds to structure fires.”
Diana Hauman explained she knows when it’s time to lead and when it’s time to manage.
“I’m a visionary and I have a sense of what Bloomington can be in five, ten, twenty years from now,” said Hauman. “I’ve been frustrated by the lack of what I consider forward movement in terms of our downtown.”
Kevin Lower believed Bloomington is going down the wrong path.
“I am watching many of my neighbors in financial peril and I am a trained professional when it comes to emergencies. I am hoping that we can avert one here,” Lower said.
The candidates covered a wide variety of other topics during the two hour event, which was moderated by the League of Women Voters of McLean County. The full roundtable can be listened to below:
The fifth candidate for mayor, Ian Bayne, chose not to participate. The primary next week will cut the field from five to two.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].
