HARTSVILLE — Voters in Hartsville have a full slate of six candidates seeking three seats on the town council.
Steve Rucker, Rex Dora and Mike Crull are the three Republican candidates, while Lisa L. Hayes, Mark Imel and Jeremy Kimball are on the Democratic ticket. Voters will choose three of the six in the Nov. 8 election.
Rucker, an incumbent, said he wants to continue serving in that role to provide continuity in local government. He is retired, formerly working for the city of Columbus. Rucker said he will continue to maintain and improve local streets, the town square and the town’s sewer system and work to find the best use for the town’s limited budget.
Dora, who was appointed to the council in May 2014 to replace another board member, said he has made it a point to not take any pay as a councilman from the town since serving. Retired from construction work, Dora said he now volunteers to mow and keep the town park and cemetery looking nice and wants to pursue preserving the history of the town.
He would also like the town to focus on sidewalk and street maintenance, including fixing problem areas more quickly to avoid anyone being injured. “I see some safety issues in our town and those things need to be taken care of,” Dora said.
Crull said he was asked to be a candidate for Hartsville Council after a current council member, Mike Mitchel, decided not to seek reelection.
Crull said he wants to keep town members informed about the status of projects and prepare the town and facilities to be updated in the future. Crull worked at Columbus Silgas and Valeo at Greenburg before he retired, and now works as a driver for Avis/Budget Car Rental in Columbus.
Hayes, a teacher in Greensburg Community Schools for 30 years, said she loves Hartsville and believes in the concept of neighbors helping neighbors making a community a better place to live.
“I have worked in many capacities in education and know it takes a lot of energy to make any idea a success,” she said. “I feel by being directly involved in small-town government, I can continue to give back to a community that has been a great place to live and raise my son the past 24 years.”
Hayes said with the absence of many local services that larger towns offer, such as libraries, paid fire departments and swimming pools, a town council member’s responsibilities are directed toward town utilities such as the sewer plant and the town park.
“Both are very important,” she said. “I would like to see the park better utilized, and if possible, improved.”
She said updates to the shelter house with seating and playground equipment would make the town more visibly pleasing and user friendly.
“I also want to be a resource to residents for other government agencies,” she said.
Kimball, who works at Human Services Inc. as a case manager, said he is seeking a council seat because he has lived in Hartsville all his life and loves his small town.
“I believe the town needs to be more informed about what is going on and what problems are being taken care of,” he said.
Imel did not respond to repeated attempts to obtain information about his candidacy.
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Name: Jeremy Kimball
Party: Democrat
Age: 34
Address: Hartsville
Occupation: Human Services Inc. case manager for the Route 21 program (pregnant and parenting teens) and as a facilitator for the Fatherhood Program.
Education: Hauser High School, 2000
Previous offices held: None
Previous offices sought: None
Community involvement: Attends most town board meetings and helps the community as much as he can.
Family: Wife, Dawn Kimball. One child.
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Name: Rex L. Dora
Party: Republican
Age: 46
Address: Hartsville
Occupation: Retired construction worker
Education: Not filled out on questionnaire
Previous offices held: Appointed to Hartsville Town Council to fill a vacancy, and currently holds office.
Previous offices sought: None
Community involvement: Not filled out on questionnaire
Family: Wife, Suzanne Dora. One child.
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Name: Michael W. “Mike” Crull
Party: Republican
Age: 65
Address: Hartsville
Occupation: Worked 21 years for Columbus Silgas and 19 months at Valeo at Greensburg, retiring in March 2014. Now working as a driver for Avis/Budget Car Rental, Columbus office.
Education: Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University, 1973
Previous offices held: None
Previous offices sought: None
Community involvement: Hope Lions Club president, member of the Lions for 40 years; active member of Hope Moravian Church
Family: The late Sharon Crull
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Name: Lisa Hayes
Party: Democrat
Age: 55
Address: Hartsville
Occupation: Teacher in Greensburg Community Schools for 30 years.
Education: Brownstown Central High School, 1980; Indiana State University, bachelor’s degree, 1985; Walden University, master’s degree, 2005.
Previous offices held: None
Previous offices sought: None
Family: One child
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Name: Steve Rucker
Party: Republican
Age: 67
Address: Hartsville
Occupation: Retired; formerly worked for city of Columbus
Education: Bachelor of science degree, 1976
Previous offices held: Hartsville Town Council
Previous offices sought: Hartsville Town Council
Community involvement: Serves on the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District Board and a member of the Columbus Ethnic Expo Steering Committee
Family: Wife, Janet.
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