Mike Wolanin | The Republic Kris Weisner waits to swear in as the new Columbus Township Trustee in the Bartholomew County Clerk’s Office at the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.
Kris Weisner, a retired Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy, was sworn in Friday morning as the new Columbus Township trustee.
The oath of office was administered inside the Bartholomew County Courthouse by Bartholomew County Clerk Shari Lentz.
Weisner, 62, succeeds Ben Jackson, a Republican, who resigned Nov. 22 – the same day the Indiana State Board of Accounts confirmed an ongoing financial investigation is underway in the trustee’s office at 1333 Washington St.
Roxanne Phillips Stalworth, who has overseen operations since Jackson’s resignation, returns to the position of chief deputy trustee, according to Bartholomew County Republican Party Chair Luann Welmer.
With a 36-year career in law enforcement, Weisner was one of four individuals being considered to complete Jackson’s term that runs through the end of 2026. Welmer identified the others as Brian Hammack, Lloyd Miller and Allen Smith.
Of the 37 Republican precinct committee members residing in Columbus Township, Welmer said 30 were at GOP headquarters Thursday evening to vote for a new trustee. Weisner was selected on the first ballot, she said.
The latest available figures list the annual salary of the Columbus Township trustee at $62,000.
After graduating from Columbus North High School in 1980, Weisner became an emergency medical technician for the former Athens Ambulance. However, he developed an interest in law enforcement because, among other things, his older brother Kraig was a deputy who retired from the sheriff’s department as a lieutenant in 2014 after 34 years of service.
Kris Weisner’s duty history includes jail officer, process server, reserve officer, road deputy, K-9 handler, firearms instructor, accident reconstructionist, DUI instructor, and instructor for drugged driving cases.
Since his retirement as a deputy in 2019, Weisner worked for Adult Protective Services (APS), a division of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. APS investigates reports regarding adults who may be victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation. It’s a job that can be frustrating at times because investigations often lead into mental competency, Weisner said.
But Weisner said he believes his many experiences have prepared him to be a township trustee.
“Nothing really surprises me anymore,” Weisner said. “I’ve seen people in their deepest, darkest times, residing in poor living conditions. I’ve dealt with homeless people. I’m used to dealing in those situations.”
A new experience
The primary responsibility of a township trustee in Indiana is to provide poor relief to residents who need it most. Other duties include funding rural fire departments and maintaining cemeteries.
“I think the main thing with this position is that it’s more hands-on in helping people directly,” Weisner said. “With the sheriff’s department, you are in and out because you have to go on to the next thing. In Adult Protective Services, you offer resources that you can’t physically give to people asking for assistance. But a township trustee actually has the means where they can give assistance or money to those in need.”
The budget Weisner will be working with will be one approved by Jackson and his advisory board, $2,417,862 for next year. That includes $862,622 for the township’s general fund, $794,260 for township assistance and $686,980 for township fire and emergency medical services.
The budget also contains $100,000 for the cumulative fire fund, which is set up for capital purchases such as equipment and vehicles.
In 2016, Jackson was instrumental in opening Brighter Days, a temporary emergency shelter at 421 S. Mapleton St. Weisner said he wants to take a good look at the shelter’s operations, and perhaps work with Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon to see what will benefit the community the most.
Weisner is also a part-time officer for the town of Westport. When asked if he plans to keep that position, the new township trustee said that is something he’ll figure out later as he settles into his new job.
The new Columbus Township Trustee has three adult daughters: Casey, Alexa and Maggie.
