Mike Wolanin | The Republic Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers announces his candidacy for mayor of Columbus during a gathering in the event space at Zaharakos in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022.
Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers announced plans Wednesday to run for mayor of Columbus.
The announcement was at Zaharako’s, with Myers offering a brief tribute to the late Tony Moravec and asking for a moment of silence to honor the businessman’s death.
“He is here tonight,” said Myers. “He’s here. You know why he’s here? Because he’s a man that believes in Columbus, Indiana, and he believes in people. And I do the same thing. And you all, that are here, are special, and you all feel the same way.”
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, also a Republican, who is coming to the end of his second term, announced earlier Wednesday that he will not seek re-election.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Maj. Chris Lane, a Republican who ran unopposed in 2022 primary and midterm elections, will replace Myers as county sheriff in 2023. Term limits prevent Myers, who was initially elected to the role in 2014, from running for a third consecutive term.
In discussing his reasons for running for mayor, Myers mentioned his service with the sheriff’s department.
“We got so much accomplished over there that it energized me,” he said. “And I love people. I love Columbus. It’s my hometown. Like I said, I love serving people. And I’ll be honest, God told me this is my time to run. I think, right now, in the nation, I think a lot of people are uneasy and don’t necessarily feel safe. … One of the main reasons I’m running and continuing my public service is because I want community members to feel safe.”
During his candidacy announcement, Myers mentioned continued drug enforcement and addressing violent crime as priorities.
“I’m going to focus on, obviously, public safety, because I can tell you the current mayor — I’m sorry, God love him, I love Jim Lienhoop — he doesn’t know anything about public safety,” said Myers. “Because I’ve been over to talk to him, and he don’t know a whole lot about it. … I hope, after eight years, he’s learned a little bit.”
He also stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration, having city employees that serve with a good attitude, being a good steward of tax dollars, improving infrastructure, having a “vision,” helping businesses of all sizes and having a good team at city hall.
“Tonight we are taking Columbus back,” said Myers. He then explained that he believes that the city hasn’t done enough in terms of reaching out to residents and getting them involved in the community, which would be one of his priorities.
Additionally, he said improving infrastructure should come before expensive projects that don’t benefit the entire city.
In regards to the city’s riverfront project, Myers feels there is an obligation to fix the lowhead dam situation and do some cleanup, but he doesn’t approve of “having a water park there, where a flood can wipe it out.”
“When I’m elected mayor, I will not use tax dollars for that,” he said. “And I will not use tax dollars, again, to buy property and develop it. I will bring developers in and they can do that. That’s not the job of city government.”
Conversely, Lienhoop’s press release earlier that day highlighted city-led developments such as the downtown apartment complex and urban grocer and NexusPark as accomplishments of the city during his tenure.
Myers’ experience in law enforcement includes a little over 20 years with the Columbus Police Department. He is a graduate of both Vincennes University and the FBI National Academy.
During his time as sheriff, he has served on the National Security Administration’s Drug Enforcement and Homeland Security committees and has been commended for his role in creating Bartholomew County’s Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team. The team is comprised of officers from the Columbus Police Department, deputies from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and a deputy prosecutor with the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.
He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police – Earl Brown Lodge #89, the National Rifle Association, the Indiana Sheriff’s Association, the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County and the Youth Services Advisory Board.
