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Education
Attended Vincennes University for Architectural Studies and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for Civil Engineering
Campaign Email
contact@bryantanner.in
Occupation/Current Position
Director of Operations - Troyer Group
Campaign Phone
574-400-5277
I'm focused on doing the small things right for a big impact. My first priority is to ensure that residents of District H feel they have a voice in county government. As this district is entirely within the cities of Mishawaka and South Bend, county services can sometimes be abstract for these residents who relate most of their government needs with their respective city government. That said, reducing the tax rate and property tax burden seems to be the dominant recurring request. The second priority is to plan for and pass budgets that aren't shortsighted and reflect our long-term goals. We pass budgets of roughly $280 million each year to support staffing, infrastructure, and operations, but must also be forward looking with nearly $200 million in long-term obligations like pensions, retiree benefits, and capital projects.
Our roads and bridges reflect some of the largest capital expenditures for our community every year. Those costs continue to go up, outpacing inflation considerably. While there are many county roads which are in need of repair, and a considerable amount is budgeted to support that repair annually, I believe county bridges reflect the most pressing need. This infrastructure has dedicated funding, but that source is not providing enough revenue for the upfront cost of these repairs. Because the interest rate for municipal bonds is so low and the cost of construction increases so dramatically every year, I believe we can manage these significant infrastructure projects through the issuance of bonds, paying those bonds through the existing funding source, without increasing taxes, and ultimately costing the county less in the long run.
The county has been proactively working toward this for years with its approach to economic development, and in conjunction with our municipal partners in placemaking efforts. Growth in our cities is just as important, if not more so, than growth in the unincorporated county area. We collectively support the broader tax base and the ability to provide critical public services. Because the State mandates a maximum growth in the overall tax levy dollar amount annually, development and growth induces a reduction in the tax rate and potential savings for property owners. If cuts are ultimately still necessary, they must be made with a scalpel, not a cleaver. Our departments are already bootstrapped in most cases and nearly all services are either statutorily required or critical in nature for public health, safety, and stability.
Large-scale economic development projects, regardless of their type, likely require some form of rezoning or land use considerations. This process requires formal petitioning and public hearings before multiple elected and appointed levels of government. It is also an opportunity to evaluate each project on its merit, alignment with the St. Joseph County Comprehensive Plan, and other determinants that the State of Indiana dictates local government can use to assess such projects. Our ability to both support these large-scale projects and hold those developers accountable will be the biggest factor in these decisions. Our work is cut out for us in county government to illustrate to the community that we have been listening, are addressing their biggest concerns, and earning their trust in order to consider more projects of this magnitude.
I have led the charge in updates to our Council Rules which support an expansion to public notice procedures, enhanced communication with and among Council members, and additional efforts to meet with and understand the work being prioritized by the Board of Commissioners. Beyond that, I have personally invested hundreds of hours into neighborhood meetings, stakeholder group discussions, and social media communication on everything from budgets to economic development projects and nuanced departments services. Most Council members have done varying levels of the same to connect with their constituents, and we have all participated in our fair share of interviews with local media. There may always be room to criticize or improve, but we are greatly exceeding the requirements for public notice and openness to community input.
Just as other local governments must do to remain competitive, the county will occasionally make a significant change in pay for an individual or department. Economic development plays such an outsized role in our local government funding solvency, especially following the implementation of Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 1, and there are so few experienced and qualified economic development professionals that we did make a big adjustment in that salary for 2026. Prior to that, we made a major adjustment for our St. Joseph County Police Department. That change, from 2024 into 2025, was as much as a 17% increase for officers ensuring our public safety, and helped to bring those positions to parity with other departments in the region. Generally, the standards for these changes should benchmarking competitive pay within our means to afford it.
