Incumbent Republican Chuck LaDow faces Democratic challenger Carlos Marroquin in the race for the Ward 4 seat on the Logansport City Council.

What do you see as the issues in this campaign?

LaDow: I see three main issues in this campaign, the first being maintaining a balanced budget while maximizing production from city employees. During my first term we have gone from an operating budget of nearly $12 million to one slightly less than $8 million. It has been council’s responsibility to make the cuts while minimizing the loss of services to the taxpayer. We have done this without laying off a single full-time city employee. I will continue to be a proactive fiscal agent of our city’s moneys.

The second issue is improving the educational base. With the support of the city, we have established a new, state-of-the-art, Ivy Tech campus, the Trine University extension campus and through our partnership with LEDF, have helped established and support the CLEAR program which helps adults to attain their GED. While talking to local business owners and prospective investors, the two biggest concerns in their success rates include a skilled and educated work force and improved infrastructure within our community. Doing this will create jobs! The numbers speak for themselves as all of the new educational initiatives continue to grow.

Results will not happen overnight, but rather through persistence and perseverance over time. I have had the privilege to teach in two of these facilities and have seen first hand the work ethic and drive the student population has to achieve their goals in furthering their education.

The third issue is the continued development of our existing infrastructure. While the 18th Street Corridor is not supported by some candidates, I am a huge advocate for it. With the Hoosier Heartland finally becoming a reality to our city and the new Ivy Tech campus in place, we need to capitalize on the traffic flow and possibilities that these bring. We must be able to see a city greater than the one we have!  Development along the Hoosier Heartland will happen, and we must have new infrastructure to maximize flow both out of and into our community. The 18th Street Corridor will provide us that.

Marroquin: There is a huge communication gap between the Caucasian and Hispanic community, I will become a middle man To find ways in which both communities work together in a way that the city of Logansport prospers from this team work. We can achieve so much more together, in a way that both communities benefit as well as aiding the city in its growth.

To eliminate gang activity in our neighborhood, this is a problem that has been not only plaguing our city but growing as well.

As a member of this community I would like to see this problem eliminated and gone.

We need to not only bring new business to our town but to keep the business that is already here.

Local competition is always good but we must remember our local business especially the ones that have been here since the beginning have had and must have local protection from the city council As far as our local law enforcement and fire department are concerned  try to figure out a way to help them and understand the issues that they may have within their own department

Why should voters choose you?

LaDow: I have been an active member of our great community all of my life. I am an LHS and Purdue graduate, I have family members who own local businesses, I teach in our schools and have raised my children in Logansport. I have deep roots, experience and am committed to making Logansport grow and prosper.

Marroquin: Voters should elect me as their new city councilman because that is exactly what the city council needs; a new fresh set of ideas with a new way to implement them.

I feel that this is a great community with plenty of potential, and I feel that with new age it will be better.

Also voters can rest assured that I will do my very best to listen and understand their needs as well as do everything in my power to try to fix problems that have been consistently affecting our community.