Two first-time office seekers will face off for treasurer this November.
Democrat and current treasurer Cathy Smith cannot run for reelection since she served the full two years the position is allotted. Treasurers take office Feb. 10 the year following the election and may hold office for up to eight years in any 12-year period, according to Indiana state law. Jessica McClellan, the Democratic candidate, and Ann Collins, the Republican candidate, will vie to replace Smith. Both candidates said they chose to run for public office because they want to make a positive change in the community.
McClellan said because Smith could not run for reelection, this was her chance to bring a fresh face and new ideas to Monroe County government.
She said she represents a new breed of government employee that sees how operations have run poorly in the past, and she knows how to improve local government moving forward.
“We need to start thinking ahead on how we’re going to serve taxpayers better in the future,” McClellan.
Collins said she decided to run because she got sick of reading about corruption in local government in the newspaper. Employees in the auditor’s office were stealing, and others were standing by silently, she said.
“No one was standing up for the citizens,” Collins said. “Basically, I was just fed up.”
If elected treasurer, Collins would be involved in the county’s finances and would be able to prevent further corruption, she said.
McClellan said she would also tackle the existing problem of illegal use of government credit cards for personal use in the auditor’s office by closely monitoring credit card use or banning credit cards entirely.
“As treasurer, that will not happen under my watch,” McClellan said about future corruption in county financials.
McClellan’s experience working for the government in the assessor’s office for the last five years and her background in journalism make her the best choice for Monroe County treasurer, she said. Working in the assessor’s office required a high level of understanding and attention to detail. Journalism emphasizes serving the public and strong ethics, which are necessary for the treasurer role, McClellan said.
“It really comes down to numbers and being a people person,” McClellan said.
Collins said she is the best candidate for the position because of her business experience. Collins graduated from Ohio State University in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration.
She has also managed and balanced the books for real estate company Giraffe Enterprises. In the non-profit sector, Collins co-founded Bloomington Advanced Connection Corporation, a networking group for small businesses. Collins also currently serves as the vice chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party.
Collins’s experience is illustrated in her commercial and on her two billboards, she said. Both promise that Collins “won’t steal” and she “know(s) how to count.”
The ads have gone viral on Reddit and were featured on Good Morning America earlier this week, William Ellis, chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party, said.
“It’s refreshing because it is so basic,” Ellis said. “You shouldn’t have to explain to people those two things.”
Ellis said it also illustrates that McClellan speaks in government language, as if she is above the people, while Collins talks to the people on their level.
However, McClellan said the people need evidence beyond someone’s word that they will not steal.
“At the end of the day, government is there to take care of people,” McClellan said.
