Meet the Candidates: Lynn Morales
Candidates for the Vigo County Council and Commissioner primaries completed the following questionnaires. The responses have not been edited in any way.
The Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce is committed to fostering a strong business climate and a thriving community in Vigo County. As the County Council and County Commissioners play a critical role in shaping the fiscal and policy environment that affects businesses, residents and quality of life across our region, the Chamber believes it is important for voters to understand where candidates stand on the issues that matter most.
The following questionnaire has been developed to help Chamber members and their employees evaluate candidates seeking seats on the Vigo County Council and those running for Vigo County Commissioner. We appreciate each candidate's willingness to participate and encourage thoughtful, specific responses that reflect their vision, experience and priorities for Vigo County's future.
Name: Lynn Morales (D)
Question: What steps have you taken to prepare yourself for the position for which you are running? (This could include reviewing Robert’s Rules of Order, participating in the West Central Indiana Civic Engagement series, attending and/or watching applicable meetings, etc…)
Answer: Attending and/or watching county council and commissioner meetings and familiar with Robert's Rules of Order.
Question: What expectations do you have for yourself or for others as elected officials, especially as it pertains to how meetings are to be conducted, your role in state/government functions and overall professionalism?
Answer: To be present in the moment and knowledgeable about issues, to listen to each other and agree that it is okay to disagree and to always ask questions
Question: As a member of the County Council or as a Commissioner, what are the top 3-5 community priorities would you consider in how to best utilize the County's resources, including its cash reserves.
Answer: The top priorities (not in any particular order) would be to make sure that we take care of jail overcrowding to make sure we are complying with the state, to reach a conclusion on the school issue and move forward with a plan the voters support, maybe work with local employers to create a plan that incentivizes healthy life choices to raise our county numbers, support choices to have sustainable community resources for homelessness.
Question: Are you familiar with the See You in Terre Haute Community Plan and its vision for our future?
Answer: Yes
Question: Do you believe Terre Haute–Vigo County has improved over the past five years?
Answer: Yes
Question: What do you feel could make Vigo County more attractive to employers compared to other regions around the state and what role could you play in bringing these ideas to reality as a member of the County Council or as a Commissioner?
Answer: I think that we are on track with a lot of great things that could attract employers. For example, our parks, trails and bike paths are really improving. There are so many groups focusing on making our community more inviting. As Commissioner, I would look carefully at any plans and make sure that they are a good allocation of resources towards our goals.
Question: Do you agree with granting tax abatements to Companies as an enticement to attracting more business and jobs to our community?
Answer: Not Sure
Question: Why do you agree or disagree with tax abatements? And what stipulations/parameters would you like to see included?
Answer: I think that this would depend on the company and what they would bring to our community. And if they already plan to come here or if we are competing with other communities.
Question: Do you believe the current school facilities in Vigo County adequately serve students, teachers and the broader community?
Answer: Not Sure
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding school facilities, including any additional information you would like to know.
Answer: I feel that we do not need to abandon the schools that we already have. There should have been repairs and maintenance funds to keep our schools up to date. We need to work with and upgrade what we have and focus our efforts on supporting our teachers and students with the best educational opportunities. Our rating, scores and graduation rates need to improve. Those are the things that newcomers would focus on..not the building.
Question: Do you support the existence of the Vigo County Oversight Board as a mechanism for fiscal accountability?
Answer: Not Sure
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding the Oversight Board, including any additional information you would like to know.
Answer: I feel that in theory, it was a good idea to gather information that is non-biased. If it's not taken seriously, then it was pointless.
Question: Do you support the Vigo County Council committing funds towards a new high school?
Answer: No
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding the County committing funds to a new high school.
Answer: I already did above. The county does not have the funds for this.
Question: What financial benchmarks or conditions, if any, would need to be met before you would support committing County funds to the school corporation for this project?
Answer: None, if they can't support their teachers with a livable wage and incentivising results or make sure that our students have the opportunities to stand out in the state, they do not need county funds for this project.
Question: Are you familiar with the West Central Indiana Regional Plan and its priorities?
Answer: Yes
Question: West Central Indiana communities (Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties) are increasingly working together to strengthen the regional economy, attract talent and improve quality of life. What opportunities do you see for Vigo County to collaborate with neighboring counties to strengthen the regional economy?
Answer: I would need to study this more. However it seems that there could be a lot of duplication between this and the See You In Terre Haute Community Plan. I think it would need to be watched closely to make sure we are working together to use resources as efficiently as possible to reach the goals of each plan.
