Roe and Gretter both want to keep the books for Delphi
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Roe

Citizens of Delphi will choose one of two candidates running for clerk-treasurer position in the municipal election Nov. 6. Both candidates for the office, with the primary function of keeping the books for the city, talked to the Comet to explain their positions and ideas about the job.

Incumbent Janice Roe, a Democrat, is married with three children. She has lived in the area for the past 17 years and was appointed to the clerk-treasurer position when the former elected official stepped down.

Roe considers "preparing for the future" one of the biggest challenges currently facing the city for the clerk-treasurer.

"We have to get up to a position so that we can expand," she said.

Roe said the clerk-treasurer, as an integral part of the city government, has a significant role in getting to that standard. She said the job is a serious one and she would expect the clerk-treasurer to be an important part of the planning for the future.

"I already know the job," Roe said about what she would bring to the job that her opponent would not. "I am a public servant by heart."

Gretter

"I have a working knowledge of the job," she continued. "I've worked with banks and investments to the betterment of the city already. And I've worked and consulted with other clerktreasurers. I know where the resources are and I have a good working relationship with other professionals. This job takes some time to learn, and I have 3.5 years experience so far. This is a critical time for Delphi."

Roe's vision for the city is to "see the downtown spruced up and all the storefronts full." She said her vision goes beyond the immediate. She said she wants to continue in the position to ensure the office runs smoothly and to assist in any way to help the city with the effort to improve.

"I'd like to see infrastructure improved to help to be able to handle future expansion."

Roe said the one thing she wanted voters to know about her was her feeling for the city of Delphi.

"I really care about the city," she said. "There are people who go away and come back and that's what my family did. We wanted to come back here because we liked it so much."

"This is a neat little town," she concluded. "I'm going to do my best to make sure the clerk-treasurer's office meets the expectations of the citizens of Delphi."

Challenger for the clerk-treasurer position is 39-year Delphi resident Linda Gretter, a Republican. Gretter is single with one child and graduated from Delphi High School in 1967.

Gretter said the Hoosier Heartland Highway could be either positive or negative for the city of Delphi and "the clerk-treasurer will be instrumental in cooperating with the council, board of works and the mayor's office in carrying out the policies which are set."

Gretter said that although she does not know her opponent well for comparison, she said she is dedicated to serving Delphi City residents.

"I believe the clerk's first and foremost obligation is to the residents of Delphi," she said. "That is why it's called a public service position."

Gretter said she was the better candidate because of her experiences as an account clerk and secretary at Purdue University and at Carroll County Emergency Medical Service.

She said her vision for the clerktreasurer's office was to "update services to residents by holding more accessible office hours."

"I also want to implement the use of online payment options for residents to make it easier for them to pay their city services bills," she said.

"I want to create a cooperative atmosphere between the clerk's office and other departments which is missing right now," she added.

Gretter said her commitment to public service sets her apart for the clerk-treasurer's position.

"I am interested in the services to the residents of Delphi," she said. "They are the taxpayers and I am a civil servant."

"By using the experiences I've had, Delphi can become an opportune place to work, visit and live. We can grow with the Hoosier Heartland Highway," she concluded.