Dick DePoy: 73 Address: 10520 N. Earl Ave., Monticello (C&C Beach, Jefferson Township) Married with three adult children, Mark, Jeff and Kurt Democratic Carroll County Council hopeful Dick DePoy said he is the right person for an at-large council seat because of his many years as a private business person. DePoy said he was the publisher for the Lafayette Leader in the late 1960s and early 70s and the Mulberry Reporter. He said with the business background he understands bills must be paid and loans must be repaid for the owner to know where they stand financially. DePoy said he would bring the same financial principles to the county council.

Given the current financial situation, DePoy said it seems improbable the county could end the year with a positive balance. He said he would advocate for all loans and funds to be repaid on time.

"If the county doesn't pay what they are obligated to pay, if the person writing the check doesn't do it, they should be prosecuted," he said.

"If elected officials don't adhere to state statutes, the county prosecutor should prosecute them," he added.

DePoy said he would ensure problems and issues, such as the situation in which the county auditor and treasurer did not balance books between the two offices for more than five years, were discussed in open meetings. He said he would work with the local media to publicize the issue if he felt the taxpayers did not understand it.

DePoy said the council should hold evening meetings, instead of meeting during the day when most people are at their jobs, to be more available to the public.

"That would allow more taxpayers to attend the meetings and participate," he said. "The more open you are the more satisfied people are."

DePoy expressed dissatisfaction about council members whose backs face the audience preventing taxpayers from hearing everything said during public meetings.

"I would not be tolerant of audience members not being able to hear discussions," he said. "Any council member talking during meetings should face the audience so they can be heard."

The council-at-large candidate said Indiana statutes prescribe roles for elected officials, including the council and the auditor. He said he would work to ensure those two roles remain separated. DePoy said it was the auditor's role to provide complete and accurate monthly financial reports and he would require that to happen as a necessity.

"I'm a firm believer that the more open the government is, the better off you are," he said.

DePoy said he would shy away from micro-managing a department but he said there could be a time it was necessary.

"All money must be spent frugally," he said. "Department heads should make daily spending decisions," he said. "If they can't make good decisions in that area, their pay could be reduced or eliminated to help the situation."

"Micro-managing would not be a bad thing to bring the county financial situation around and keep it on track," he added.

DePoy said the concept of term limits for elected officials "has its merits," however he would not give a black and white answer about the issue. He said there are times when one person is very good for a position and should not automatically be forced to move on due to term limits. He said term limits were good "in the long run."

DePoy was definite that fulltime county department heads should not hold other positions.

"If a department head has two other jobs, they can't do the Carroll County job right," he said.

DePoy proposed a different philosophy about how to manage another judicial mandate. He said he would not vote to allocate money to seek a legal remedy for another one from the Carroll County judges. To find a financial remedy for a threat, he said he would only vote to fund the number of judges prescribed by state statute, as determined by population.

"I would not fight a mandate," he said. "But I would eliminate a judge if I could."

"I'm running for council because I was angry about the loss of the county surplus," DePoy concluded. "I'm concerned about the overall picture of Carroll County going backward instead of forward."

"We don't have Uncle Sam to bail us out," he added.