The three candidates running in the Democratic primary for Bloomington mayor squared off Thursday night on key issues in local government.
Donald Griffin, Susan Sandberg and Kerry Thomson appeared live on WTIU to debate several topics: annexation, affordable housing, climate, and racial equity, to name a few.
A recurring theme was the lack of collaboration in local government, especially between the mayor’s office and city council.
Read more: Bloomington mayoral candidates talk affordable housing, homelessness
Griffin served as the city’s deputy mayor. He said the future mayor should focus more on outreach and engagement.
“It’s okay to disagree, but when you just stop talking, that’s when we have problems,” Griffin said.
I think we should continue to talk, and I’ll do that in a Griffin administration.”
Sandberg serves on city council. She says the current mayor’s administration has not been transparent with her and her colleagues — something she wants to change if elected.
Read more: Bloomington mayoral candidates lay out priorities, clash on annexation
“If I become your next mayor, which I hope I do, I will have a real insight into how better to work with the council and how to do things more in advance before big decisions are made,” Sandberg said.
Sandberg says she is actively promoting more collaboration between the city and county.
Thomson is a political outsider who served as CEO of Monroe County Habitat for Humanity. She was more skeptical than Griffin and Sandberg about how much collaboration there is between different levels of government.
Read more: Candidates officially file for Bloomington mayor
“I'm frankly surprised to hear that the county and the city are working so well together because the residents of our community … you frankly don't agree, I think,” Thomson said.
All three are similarly aligned on protecting vulnerable residents and addressing climate change but notably diverged on the topic of annexation. While Griffin and Thomson agree on continuing that process, Sandberg says she wants a hard reset. She voted against annexation plans as a city council member.
The full debate can be viewed here.
