WINONA LAKE – As of Thursday night, one person has filed for the Winona Lake Town Council Ward 4 vacancy.
Heather James, 215 Roy St., Winona Lake, has submitted her interest in the position to Kosciusko County Republican Party Chairman Mike Ragan.
The caucus to replace Councilman Robert Swanson, who resigned from the council in December because he moved out of his district, is at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Winona Lake Town Hall.
James, 42, said she has never held elected office and said she decided to run for Swanson’s seat after she was encouraged by others. “I had a couple of people mention the position was open and asked if I was interested. I gave it some thought in a meaningful way and decided (to do it),” she said.
James said she knows some of the current Winona Lake officeholders. She works part-time in a local dentist office and also is employed at Grace College.
The mother of three children, James said her past leadership experience has included serving on a preschool board, PTO and the Warsaw Community High School Theater Booster Club. Her children now attend school at the high school, Edgewood Middle School and Washington STEM Academy.
“I am a community-minded person and I feel like to make the community better, people need to step up and help make decisions,” she said. She said she wants the community to be safe for her kids and wants to be a part of the decision making to make that happen.
Anyone interested in filing for the position can get their declaration of candidacy forms at the Kosciusko County Clerk’s Office. Deadline to submit the form to Ragan is 7 p.m. Saturday.
