Election 2006 - Bloomington Township Trustee

Though most of Bloomington's significant administrative and legislative responsibilities fall to the mayor and Bloomington City Council, other essential functions are overseen by a Bloomington Township trustee and board. The trustee is responsible for allocating about $2 million for the creation and maintenance of social services like homeless shelters and soup kitchens, along with the Bloomington Township Fire Department. \nDemocrat Nancy Brinegar holds the seat. The challenger is Republican Anthony Bruner.\nBrinegar, a two-term incumbent, is an IU graduate with eight years experience on the Township Board. Brinegar said she secured a new site for the Bloomington Community Kitchen, which is being leased to the organization for $1 a year. The board also bought and renovated a short-term emergency shelter for local residents and low-income families. Her latest victory is a $1 million facility to train firefighters from across Southern Indiana. \nHer challenger, Bruner, is a local businessman with 28 years experience managing the books for his landscaping company. Bruner's first order of business will be increasing the fire department's on-duty night-time responders, though Brinegar is quick to respond that the majority of firefighters are volunteers. He also envisions the IU greek community playing a significant role as volunteers and fundraisers, a plan Brinegar believes will limit the efficacy of the United Way and similar organizations.\nWhat differentiates these two candidates are their core goals. Bruner said he is concerned that Bloomington citizens are being unfairly taxed by supporting a fire department that receives 22 percent of its emergency calls from Benton Township. On the other hand, Brinegar's record suggests a greater concern with social services, a subject on which Bruner was nearly silent. \nTuesday you'll have a choice between two highly competent candidates. As a resident and tax-payer, Bruner promises fiscal responsibility and better fire-response. As a student and a bleeding-heart liberal, however, I'm endorsing Nancy Brinegar, whose eight years experience helping the poor reflects a sense of social obligation rarely seen in elected officials.