Democrats Cheryl Munson and Trent Deckard will return to their positions on the Monroe County Council. The county council will also welcome a new face in January: Democrat David Henry.
In the race to fill three at-large seats on the council, Munson received 34.2% of the vote, Deckard received 35.4% and Henry received 30.4%, according to the Indiana Election Division results at 10:50 p.m.
The three Democrats ran against write-in candidate Joe Davis. Although his name did not officially appear on the ballot, he participated in a candidate forum in late October. No Republican candidates appeared on the ballot.
Munson will serve her fourth term on the county council. Before working in Monroe County government, Munson served on the Indian Creek Township Board of Trustees and was a research scientist for the IU anthropology department.
Deckard has held a seat on the council since 2019 and is currently the council’s president. Prior to serving on the council, he was the chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party from 2013-15. He also served as chief of staff for the Indiana House Democratic Caucus from 2015-17 and is a Kelley School of Business faculty member.
Henry has served as the Monroe County Democratic Party chair since 2021. His term will expire in January 2025, around when he will take office. He is an adjunct professor at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and previously served as the president of the Monroe County Election Board.
In interviews with the Indiana Daily Student in February, Munson and Henry said two of their main priorities would be helping move the Monroe County Convention Center and jail expansion projects forward. Deckard also told the IDS he would use his role to address affordability and homelessness in the county.
The county council is responsible for adopting Monroe County government’s annual budget and fixing tax rates. The council also authorizes the county’s expenditures and purchases and approves all job descriptions and salaries for county government offices. There are seven seats on the council: four district council members and three at-large members.
