Bloomington mayoral opponent questions job-post

Now that the polls have closed on Bloomington’s primary elections, the city’s focus has shifted to the mayoral elections in November. Incumbent Mayor and Democrat Mark Kruzan will campaign for his second term, while Republican City Councilman David Sabbagh is set to challenge his bid for re-election. \nThe May 2 City Council meeting provided a glimpse of the upcoming mayoral race, as Sabbagh squared off against Kruzan on an issue of public policy. \nThe issue at hand was the division of the position of assistant director of economic development into two separate offices – one that will concentrate on the development of the arts, and the other that will focus on sustainability and small business. The added job will cost Bloomington $36,000 annually. \nSabbagh said his opposition was not an attack on those employed by the city. Rather, he feels the money could be better spent elsewhere. The final council vote was 8-1, Sabbagh being the only opposing vote. \n“Nowhere in my statement will you find a criticism of the city’s staff,” Sabbagh said. “This is an issue of public policy.” \nHe said there are other entities in the city that could split the responsibilities delegated to this new position. He said the city’s economic development has not been sufficient to warrant an extra position. \nHe also said there are already enough people in City Hall who work to create jobs. The government should look to assist organizations in the community that help generate jobs, rather than spend money on another city position. \n“I was surprised the mayor responded the way he did (in the defense of the city staff),” Sabbagh said. \nKruzan countered by saying the importance of arts, especially those generated by IU, is extremely relevant to the local economy. He said investing in arts development has provided a healthy return to the city. \n“I am happy the council voted 8-1 to help further the city’s commitment to art,” Kruzan said. \nThe mayor said the original job encompassed too many responsibilities to make a huge impact. \n“We deleted one job and created two positions,” Kruzan said. “By splitting the job, we hope to allow a focus on both small business and arts development.” \nAfter Tuesday’s poor turnout at polls across Bloomington, Sabbagh hopes to engage the University community to help stir excitement in the city. He said he wants Bloomington to work with IU to address issues that affect both communities, including employment. \n“The traffic and housing in the city are both big problems,” Sabbagh said. “We educate a lot of kids here in Bloomington and would like them to stay, so the city needs to do a better job to help provide those jobs.” \nKruzan said both Democrats and Republicans expected a low turnout, but that the primaries set the stage for the November elections.\n“Yesterday was about setting an agenda for the next six months,” Kruzan said. \nThe mayor said he looks to IU’s students, staff and faculty to be a big part of his campaign in November. In the last election, three-quarters of his staff were University students. The big issue he sees concerning IU students is housing downtown. He said downtown student housing is great for the local economy and the students. \n“There are many more hundreds of students living downtown than when I was a student at IU,” Kruzan said. “This is great for the local economy – we need to recognize the students’ purchasing power.”\nThe faculty and staff at IU work for the city’s biggest employer, and Kruzan said he wants to improve neighborhoods around the city for University employees and Bloomington residents alike. He said these housing issues are not just IU-related, but community-related as well.\nKruzan is waiting for the November elections to come around and hopes for his campaign to be in full swing by September. \n“Things are getting into motion right now,” Kruzan said. “Labor Day is traditionally when the public can get a full look at the campaign.”