Biographical Information
Campaign email
CherylMunson2012@gmail.com
Educational background
BA, Anthropology, Geology, University of Arizona, 1965; MA, Anthropology, Archaeology, University of Illinois, 1971
Occupation(s)
archaeologist
1. City and town residents are also residents of the county. How would you work encourage communication and a good working relationship among city, town, and county elected officials? (750 characters/~125 words)
The last decade has seen more confrontation than collaboration between our city and county. For example, the expansion of the Convention Center was stalled for several years due to disagreements between the elected city and county executives. But in smaller ways, city-county collaboration has been successful for years, e.g., Animal Control and Building Inspections. Having a shared goal and a willingness to compromise is fundamental to successful collaboration. Our city and county would benefit from another “joint” endeavor. I would suggest a good start would be a City-County Childcare Task Force to identify possible solutions for our local government employees whose struggles to find affordable childcare impact their lives and work.
2. Beyond public statements at meetings, letters, and email messages to you, how would you plan to hear from all the citizens of Monroe County? (750 characters/~125 words)
While constituent meetings proved to be an unsuccessful way to communicate with anyone but a small number of people, I have had the good fortune to know and work with people who reside in various parts of the city and county. Also, the opportunity to talk with diverse citizens arises when I am working on boards, committees, or just lending a helping hand at various events (e.g., historic preservation, reorganization of fire protection in the county, annexation discussions, History Center Garage Sale, the County Fair, Indian Creek Easter Egg Hunt, Ellettsville’s Fall Festival, Harrodsburg Heritage Days, Lotus in the Park, etc.). Spending time working with community members gives me a chance to hear people’s concerns about a host of issues.
3. What do you view as the biggest financial challenge for Monroe County this year and next? (750 characters/~125 words)
Replacing the current inadequate and physically failing jail with a new facility within which incarceration will be part of a “Justice Center Complex” that will ideally incorporate treatment services for mental health and substance use disorders. Additionally space will be needed for the Sheriff, Prosecutor, Public Defender, the Circuit Court, and Probation Services. Paying for the Justice Center will require considering the best mix of funding sources,-- bonds, revised allocations of existing tax revenues, grants, and other funds. The possibility of a “jail tax” to help fund the Justice Center’s construction and operations should be evaluated as well in finding the lowest overall cost.
4. What approaches would you favor to address the problems of homelessness in Monroe County? (750 characters/~125 words)
Those places having fewer obvious homelessness issues reportedly encourage unhoused people to move to other cities, including our own. Instead of transporting the homeless away, Bloomington and Monroe County have favored providing housing along with supportive services. Winter conditions stress both housing and other basic needs because many people still live in scattered tent camps. While public and private funding is directed to support new construction projects to provide additional long-term housing and services, I doubt that we can build enough to solve the issue. I think we should fully explore additional alternatives, e.g., the pros and cons of organized tent encampments or neighborhoods of “tiny houses” centered around services.