City council, clerk endorse Mayor Kruzan

Six Democratic members of the Bloomington City Council and City Clerk Regina Moore expressed their support for incumbent candidate Mayor Mark Kruzan.

The members endorsed him in his May 3 primary race against John Hamilton on Thursday afternoon at the Monroe County Democratic Party headquarters.

The city council members who participated in the endorsement were President Susan Sandberg, Vice President Andy Ruff, Parliamentarian Tim Mayer and members Dave Rollo, Chris Sturbaum and Mike Satterfield.

“Our words today reflect our strong support based on many positive achievements and shared vision with this remarkable administration,” Sandberg said.

The council members referenced specific policy decisions Kruzan has made during his eight-year administration.

“We have in Indiana a strong mayor system,” Moore said. “That can be a source of considerable conflict between the mayor and council and even the city clerk. Here it has not been so for the last eight years because our mayor, through his long years as a legislator, values collaboration.”

Council members said Kruzan has worked closely with them on city policy issues and has supported initiatives in utilities, sustainability, social services and the arts, including the creation of the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District and the B-Line Trail.

“Mayor Kruzan has actively supported almost all of our council initiatives, most of which were citizen driven, things citizens brought to us,” Ruff said.

Sturbaum, who represents the downtown area, said Kruzan’s focus on enhancing the economy of the downtown area has been beneficial to his constituents.

“We have growing sectors of economic development, including pharmaceutical and biotech and information technology,” he said. “Mayor Kruzan understands the direct relationship of quality of life with economic development.”

Kruzan said the endorsement was not requested by him and that it was the brainchild of the city council members themselves.

“We support the direction that our city has taken and believe that it is imperative that mid-course corrections are unwarranted and unnecessary,” Rollo said.