Three men have filed for the vacant seat on the Syracuse Town Board.
Thursday afternoon, Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Mike Ragan said David Rosenberry, Nathan Scherer and Brian Woody filed for the caucus for the District 4 seat, previously represented by Larry Martindale. Martindale resigned from the board effective Jan. 17.
A Republican caucus is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Syracuse Town Council Chambers, 310 N. Huntington St., Syracuse, for precinct committeemen to elect a person to finish out the remainder of Martindale’s term this year. Deadline for candidates to file for the caucus with Ragan is 6 p.m. Saturday.
The seat is also up for election this year and whoever wins the primary and then the fall election, if there’s a contested race, will serve in the District 4 seat beginning Jan. 1 for a four-year term. All three caucus candidates have filed for the Republican primary as well.
In a telephone interview, Rosenberry, 51, said he previously ran for a seat on the school board, but didn’t win so if elected, this time it will be his first time as an elected official.
Asked why he’s running for the town board, he said, “I have a long history of public service. I served 21 years at the Kosciusko County 911 Center. I left there in 2015 as director.”
He also served 28 years on the Milford Fire Department.
“I have quite the history of serving the public and I wanted to give back,” he said.
Rosenberry was appointed by the town board to serve on the Syracuse Redevelopment Commission as of Jan. 1.
He said he’s looking forward, if elected, to continue serving the town and working to help make it a better place to live. He added that his family has a history of being a part of the town of Syracuse, including that his grandfather owned a grocery store in Syracuse.
Scherer, 42, is seeking public office for the first time. He said he’s lived in Syracuse his whole life and sees this election as an opportunity to run and be involved.
He said he’s served on boards elsewhere, but if elected to the Syracuse Town Board it would be the first time he’s served on a board in Syracuse. He served on the Joe’s Kids board of directors in Warsaw and the Noble County Economic Development Commission.
Scherer said he’s pretty passionate about what the jobs of the future will look like and, as an entrepreneur, he has an idea of what the jobs of the future will look like and that will help the town of Syracuse. He said it’s important the town be able help bring in the jobs of the future.
He said he’s also passionate about youth and providing them with opportunities to learn and grow and to live in the town of Syracuse as adults if they choose to do so.
Having four kids himself, Scherer said he’s coached youth sports over the years and enjoys seeing kids succeed.
With his background in business, including having owned his own business for 20 years that he sold to a large organization, Scherer said he can help guide the town into the future.
Woody, 53, previously served on the Syracuse Town Board for about 12 years. Martindale replaced Woody on the town board after Woody resigned at the end of the May 17, 2016, board meeting.
Asked why he decided to seek a board seat this time, Woody said he heard Martindale was retiring and he brings his past years of experience with him.
“I helped put the industrial park together and it’s now full. We have a new park that needs taken care of. It’s something to do with the kids all grown up and out of the house,” he said.
The wastewater system in town has been an issue for a few years and that needs wrapped up, he said.
Woody also said he brings with him conservative values. In the 12 years he previously served on the board, he said they never raised the taxes to the maximum amount allowed and that’s important. Obviously, due to inflation, the cost of everything is going up, he said, but he’s pretty proud that when he previously served on the board they didn’t raise taxes to the maximum.
“Experience and knowing how things work” is what Woody said he will bring with him to the town board if elected.
Eligible members of the caucus, by statutory definition, are the Republican Precinct Committee members of Turkey Creek Township Precincts 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Syracuse who have served continuously, from 30 days prior to the date of the commencement of the caucus.
A Syracuse Town Board member for Ward 4 will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the members of the voting caucus to fill the vacancy in the office.
Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Ragan no later than 72 hours prior to the start of the caucus.
Eligible candidates must reside in Syracuse, Ward 4, and be a Republican in good standing,
Candidates will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the voting caucus.
