Mayor Fernandez one of 100 Democrats to watch

As the end of Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez's eight-year tenure looms, he continues to get recognition added to his resume.\nMayor since 1996, Fernandez was named in May as one of the Democratic Leadership Council's 100 New Democrats to Watch: The Next Generation of Leadership.\nIU political science professor Gerald Wright said Fernandez strived to achieve goals while searching for consensus in his action, and the award should help him for his future career.\n"(Fernandez) is a bright, personable and energetic public servant," Wright said. "He's a moderate liberal, which with his politically winning personality is why the D.L.C. finds him attractive."\nAlthough Fernandez said he appreciates the recognition and supports the party, he will not run for a position in the upcoming elections in November. Fernandez said mayorship, although pleasant, has left him insufficient time with his family.\n"I enjoyed every minute of it," Fernandez said. "I plan on continuing to be active in Democratic politics."\nFernandez also said he wants to accomplish as much as possible before he completes his term, which ends on Dec. 31. As for his career in upcoming years, the former attorney said he might practice law, but he'll keep his options open.\nReflecting on his eight years in office, Fernandez said economic reform stands out. In 1996, his first year as mayor, the annual unemployment rate dropped to 2.7 percent from the previous year's 3.4 percent, according to the Indiana Department of Labor. Since then, the rate has hovered between 2 and 3 percent before it rose to 3.4 percent last year. These numbers fared well against national averages, which never averaged below 5.6 percent during 2002.\nHowever, jobs in Bloomington pay conservatively overall. Wages of an average job in Bloomington paid 78 percent of the national average, according to a study by the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation and Indiana Business Research Center in 2002. \nBloomington has also seen a breakthrough in security. Fernandez revamped the city's law enforcement by adding police officers. In 2000 and 2001, the city employed 80 police officers, up from 64 in 1996, according to the Bloomington Police Department's crime statistics.\n"It sure helped a bunch to get a large increase," said BPD Sgt. Alan Pointer.\nD.L.C.'s award also included Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, who was also recognized in August 2000, when a similar acknowledgment took place.