For The Record

(click on any underlined URL below to access the supporting document)

• I was elected to the Monroe County Council in 2004. I received the most number of votes both in that year's contested primary with 4,062 votes, as well as the general election in the fall, where I gained 22,801 votes.
• I served as Vice-President of the Council in 2005 and as President of the Council in 2006.
• In my first year on the council, I was directly involved in advocating for and obtaining the $300,000 a year special levy which helps fund Options for Better living.
• I worked for, and Monroe County got, a "Profound Partnership" (click for more) in the form of a $411,000 Kellogg Foundation matching grant under the Access to Recreation Initiative. This grant funded the Monroe County Parks and Recreation Playscape.

• As Council President, I:
  • Set the tone for my tenure as Council President.
  • Set the tone for the 2006 budget session, with a goal of reducing spending by up to 5%. Also, worked on the ever-present issue of additional appropriations.
  • Championed transparent disclosure of the "16-line statement" as well as computerization of the county budget process.
  • Called a Special Session to address the County's Juvenile Justice plan.
  • Established the Monroe County Government Employee Advisory Board working towards the establishment of the county pay philosophy.
  • Worked closely with state legislators on the County Option Income Tax mechanism for funding local juvenile justice continuum of services. Successfully implemented in 2007.
  • Promoted and supported historic preservation in Monroe County.
  • Adopted the monthly meeting of the County Council Personnel Administration Committee.
  • Proactively participated in the ongoing issue of fair and just compensation for our Sheriff's deputies.
  • Increased the transparency of the annual budget process by launching a proactive annual schedule of public preparatory work sessions
  • Supported the New Leaf, New Life program, including the appropriation of monies for the project's first year.
  • Continued my strong support for Youth Services, both within county government and without, such as with the Tango and Beyond annual fundraiser that I sponsor.
  • Opposed IU's outsourcing of local jobs and authored letter, signed by a majority of the Council, transmitted to IU Trustees.
  • Extended Monroe County's hand to the Cubamistad project, through a letter to the International Relation's Director for Santa Clara, Bloomington's sister city.

• As a County Council Member, I have:
  • Worked hard to seek the funding for a Title X grant, establishing a Family Planning Clinic for the Health Department. We got the grant!
  • Supported Monroe County Library Capital Projects Funding for all three years' attempts at passage. Successfully passed in 2007.
  • Encouraged Monroe County Library's employees' right to organize.
  • Argued for the creation of professional administrative staff for the County Council. Staff was approved and hired in 2007.
  • Oversaw the renovation of the county's job classification system.
  • Sought the creation of a human resources position within county government. That position was funded in 2007.
  • Oversaw the movement of the Social Services funding line from the County Commissioners to the County Council
  • Supported the Prosecutor's Sexual Assault Response Team program
  • Supported the Karst Farm Greenway Transportation Enhancement Grant Application
  • Supported the Prosecutor's Victim's Assistant program
  • Supported the County Council's resolution on Comprehensive Space Needs
  • Continued to support the New Leaf - New Life program to reduce recidivism (the referenced document appeared as an article in the Safety Net).
  • Co-authored the County Council's resolution on Fuel Conservation
  • Served on the Monroe County Planning Commission for the third year.
  • Secured an internship with Monroe County's goverment for two international law students from South Korea
  • Gathered signatures from Council and other County Government colleagues opposing state logging of backwoods forest areas in Monroe County.
  • Led tours of County Government for people with disabilities, visiting students from China, and contributed to forums on local government for:
    • Leadership Bloomington
    • Monroe County Citizens Academy (which I will re-establish if elected as Commissioner)
    • Extension 4-H.
    • And others!

• Current projects:
  • Comprehensive Land Use Update. You can read my responses to the Stakeholder Survey.
  • Lobbying for Growth Options for the 21st Century, looking to move more freight by rail, not truck. After my visit to Washington, I was called and thanked for helping get Baron Hill and most other members of the Indiana delegation to sign on to HR2116!
  • Citizens for Effective Justice, currently working on Justice Re-entry. You can read my response to their questions at the CEJ Forum
  • Maternity workplace issues
  • Sexual Assault Response Team with the Prosecutor's Community Centered Justice Program
  • Community Service Funding Application Process
  • Lobbying for County Government to establish a Legislative Index

• Past and Present Boards and Commissions:
  • Options for Better Living Board
  • Monroe County Planning Commission
  • Metropolitan Planning Organization
  • Plat Committee
  • Youth Services Advisory Board (ex. officio, County Council appointee)
  • Buskirk-Chumley Theatre Advisory Committee
  • Your Art Here Board
  • Indiana University Asian Alumni Board