Meet the Candidates: Trevor Dreher
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: Trevor Dreher (D - District 3)
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: Watching every council meeting, meeting with current members of the council and other government bodies, watching the oversight board meetings.
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: Every member needs to respect each other and work to get votes done in a timely manner with all the research done ahead of time. People see it in our highest levels of government, all the fighting and gridlock, and are getting very tired of it. I believe at our local level, we all have too much in common to not figure out how to work together, even through disagreement.
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: Schools/Childcare, Public Safety, Addiction Recovery, Affordable, Safe and Clean Housing, Animal Welfare
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: Investing into schools and childcare would be a great start. People who come here to work want to know that their children will be safe and that they will enter adulthood with a leg up educationally. Building new housing that spans across all price ranges and keeping existing housing up to code and clean would be very attractive to people looking to invest in our county.
Question: Do you agree with granting tax abatements to Companies as an enticement to attracting more business and jobs to our community?
Answer: Yes
Question: Why do you agree or disagree with tax abatements? And what stipulations/parameters would you like to see included?
Answer: I believe they are a good tool to use, but should not be our entire game plan. Our focus should be more about showcasing the services and perks of what you get when you decide to invest into Vigo County. Just trying to be the cheapest place to put your business, I believe is a race to the bottom, but working with a company on how we can best serve them and how they will enrich our community is always a good thing and if tax abatements lead to a mutually beneficial relationship, then I am for it.
Question: Do you believe the current school facilities in Vigo County adequately serve students, teachers and the broader community?
Answer: No
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding school facilities, including any additional information you would like to know.
Answer: We are still churning out great kids every year, because our teachers and students are a resilient bunch, but they do deserve better.
Question: Do you support the existence of the Vigo County Oversight Board as a mechanism for fiscal accountability?
Answer: Yes
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding the Oversight Board, including any additional information you would like to know.
Answer: I have supported the oversight board from the beginning. They have been a great resource in getting a lot of information out on the current state of the facilities and the possible plans that the corporation laid out for the future. People want transparency and the oversight board is transparent.
Question: Do you support the Vigo County Council committing funds towards a new high school?
Answer: Yes
Question: Please explain your Answer regarding the County committing funds to a new high school.
Answer: If we have the funds to help the school corporation fund a responsible proposal, then I believe there is no better investment than into our youth.
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: A detailed plan on how and who will keep the new facilities in great condition would be a must for me. A lot of the problems we are in are because of poor planning and preventive maintenance, but we can not allow bad planning from previous generations to stop progress, we can learn from those mistakes and do better.
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: In Vigo County we now have the Terre Haute Casino, The Mill, some of the best parks around, and many other attractions current and future(Riverscapes, Indiana Theatre restoration, etc.) When our neighboring counties are putting on some the best events in the state that draw people from all over the area(Covered Bridge, Little Italy, Route 40 Fest, Corn Festival) we could try to make it a vacation for people to come to those events and then they can visit our casino and maybe see a concert at The Mill, amongst many other activities.
