The Road to Becoming Mayor: Who Will Be Next?
By La’Crystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer
The city of Fort Wayne has started down the road to naming its next Mayor. A road that many of us have heard of but only some may know the real meaning. So, what does the mayor do you may ask? According to CareerExplorer.com the mayor is an official who is elected by the citizens every 4 years in the city of Fort Wayne. Being a city’s mayor is a position that holds a great responsibility. The mayor is responsible for making sure utilities, transportation, and public safety are supplied to the city’s residents, adjudicating the administration of the local government, and supervising the cities budget. This is an abundance of responsibility, making it important for us to know and be involved in who has this position in our city because it not only affects us, but it also affects the ones we love and care for.
What are the requirements for running for mayor? According to CareerExplorer.com there are no educational requirements, but it does benefit you to have a degree or previous political work history. If you have neither of these things the site says having knowledge of government policies and community affairs can also help.
Who is and was in the running? Ballotpedia.org states there were five candidates seeking to run for the position. Two candidates running for the democrat party and three running for the republican party. After the primary on May 2, 2023, the republican party has voted Thomas Didier to represent their party and the democrats have voted for Thomas Henry to represent their party, but let’s hear about them all.
Eddie Ribel – Republican and Food Truck Owner
OnYourBallot.Vote411.org states “Street Chef” food truck owner Eddie Ribel entered the election in hopes of, “bringing the city back to the people.” The site says his plan to do this was by working towards bringing down the rate of homeless citizens, lowering crime rates, creating more opportunities for tourism, and fighting for better pay for teachers, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Fire Department. The site stated Ribel had also planned to put more into the small businesses on the South and North side of town as well as the River Greenway Development area.
Jason Arp – Republican and Fort Wayne City Councilman
According to his page on CityofFortWayne.org and his website https://jasonarp.com/, Fort Wayne City Council President and J.Arp and Company LLC President Jason Arp decided to enter the race for mayor hoping to continue the work he has been doing with the City Council since 2015. The sites say he has created legislations to rid the city of burdensome taxes for businesses and individuals and intrusive regulations that had been put in place. They also state he has been a supporter of private property rights, free enterprise, and individual liberty while on the City Council. He has also been a part of the movement to stop officials from placing their friends and family into official positions they are not qualified to fill.
Jorge Fernandez - Democrat and Educator
According to Jorge’s website https://www.candidatefernandez.com, Jorge has worked as an Indiana Public School Districts teacher in both high schools and middle schools, he has also tutored several ages up to the college level. The site also says, Fernandez realized he wanted to run for Mayor after going out to citizens front doors and speaking to them. In doing this he heard many stories and saw there was a great deal of citizens who were barely making it, but it was clear to him that more could be done for these citizens. It states, he also planned to see that elected officials started being held to the same or higher standards than regular citizens. He wanted to focus his efforts on supporting working families, equitable city grants and loans, reviewing the Fort Wayne Police Department, transparency, reducing tax increment (TIF) use, environmentally conscious decision making, and making Fort Wayne more eco-friendly.
The above candidates are no longer in the running.
Thomas Didier – Republican and Fort Wayne City Councilman
Thomas Didier’s CityofFortWayne.org page says he is a Salesman for the U.S. Foodservice which has given him experience working with small businesses. He recognizes what they need to succeed, and he spends most of his workdays solving issues without a temporary fix for the small businesses his employer works with. This is important because according to Didier’s page one of the goals Didier would like to achieve is making Fort Wayne a destination city for businesses and tourists. He would also like to put his focus toward the cities strengths like the arts community, learning resources for children such as Science Central, and the formidable park system as well as improve the signage on Interstate 69 which is the principal gateway to the city. The site states, Didier served his first term in 2003 and served the city’s 3rd District. He then served as the President of the Fort Wayne City Council in 2008, 2013, and 2017 and he is currently a co-chair for the City Council’s City Utilities Committee.
Tom Henry – Democrat – Current Mayor of Fort Wayne
According to the CityofFortWayne.org Tom Henry is an Army veteran and currently holds the title of Fort Wayne Mayor. The site says, Henry has served four terms as the Fort Wayne Mayor and has been committed to innovation, engagement, and performance. The site also states he has had success with business expansions, downtown developments, enhancements to the city’s park system, advances in public safety, neighborhood infrastructure improvements, job creation, and downtown development. Henry served on the Fort Wayne City Council from 1983 – 2003 representing northwest Fort Wayne.
Ballotpedia.org states that the next step in the election will be the deadline for the general election which is July 15,2023 and then voting day for the general election which will be held on November 7, 2023, where citizens will be able to vote for the next Mayor, City Clerk, and City Council. Be sure to do your research and vote!