Republicans vie for council seat

A high-tech entrepreneur and the city's police dispatcher are squaring off for the Bloomington City Council seat Republican Jason Banach will vacate in October.\nBloomington Police Department Telecommunications Manager Jeff Schemmer and businessman Brad Wisler have indicated they plan to throw their hats in the ring for the four-year seat, which does not come up for election until 2007. Real estate agent Bud Bernitt, a prominent local Republican activist, also expressed interested but withdrew his name from consideration to back Wisler.\nBanach recently announced his retirement after a decade on the council, citing a hectic professional schedule. Increased duties as IU's assistant director of real estate forced him to miss council meetings, which he said was unfair to his constituents.\nThe party has scheduled an Oct. 2 caucus to fill the vacancy. Interested District 2 residents may still submit formal declarations of candidacy to local GOP Chairman Franklin Andrew. The process remains open through Sept. 28 under Indiana statute, and Andrew welcomes any and all qualified candidates.\n"This is what differentiates us from the local Democrat party," he said. "They handpick their candidates while we go through the primary process to determine who best represents a district's interests."\nAt the caucus, the eight Republican precinct committee chairs will vote. City Clerk Regina Moore will attend to certify the result and swear in the appointee.\nWisler also has Banach's endorsement. As a 19-year-old junior at IU, Wisler ran with Banach for the council in 1995. On an affordable parking platform, Wisler lost to four-term incumbent Pam Service by a mere 291 votes.\n"We have the same issues today as we did in 1995: taxes, trash pickup and roadwork," Andrew said. "And the council still has its thumbs in things they can't control. They talk about the war in Iraq and other silly matters instead of Bloomington issues."\nWisler serves as president of downtown-based Resite Information Technology, which develops Web-based software for apartment managers. He founded the thriving company, which has clients in more than 30 states, in 2001.\nWisler's resume includes public service. He now serves as vice president on the board of Monroe County Youth Services, a government agency that runs youth shelters and a GED program. He has also worked for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Anderson Police Department.\nIf appointed, Wisler said he would continue Banach's fiscal conservatism and pursue job creation initiatives.\n"In my job, I travel around the country a lot," he said. "And I'm convinced we can persuade more employers to relocate to Bloomington and bring in more jobs."\nStill, Wisler said he would focus on the council's routine administrative tasks.\n"It will always largely be a matter of filling potholes and providing basic city services," he said. "Jason (Banach) always brags his biggest achievement was switching out sand for salt in the plow trucks."\nWisler said he would defend the seat in next year's election if appointed.\nSchemmer has not yet filed an official letter of intent. He was unavailable for comment by press time.