A caucus will be held Wednesday evening to select a new Kosciusko County Commissioner after Ron Truex resigned last month. Truex says he accidentally moved out of the district he represented.
Four candidates have filed for the open seat:
48-year-old Sheal Dirck lives in the Warsaw area and is president of Mavron Inc., which manufactures vehicles used in transportation of animals and prisoners.
Dirck told the Times Union he had been contemplating running for commissioner after hearing Truex planned to retire after his current term.
He says he wants to continue working to ensure the local economy remains viable and support infrastructure improvements.
50-year-old Cary Groninger lives in the Mentone area and is president of G&G Hauling & Excavating Inc.
Groninger is a 1985 graduate of Tippecanoe Valley High School and told the Times Union he wants to continue the strong leadership Truex provided over the last 17 years.
62-year-old Teresa Cosgrove lives west of Warsaw in West Haven Estates. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army. She said she gained an interest in getting involved in the early days of the Tea Party, which rose to prominence during President Barack Obama’s administration.
She said her main concern is making sure county finances are fiscally responsible.
She said her only other foray into running for public office came when she once ran for Warsaw Community School Corporation school board.
4. Joni Truex
58-yer-old Joni Truex lives south of Atwood and was elected to an at-large seat on county council a year ago. Ron Truex, who recently vacated the County Commissioner seat, is her husband’s cousin.
Still, Joni Truex told the Times Union the relation does not matter.
“I’ll stand on my own merits,” she explained.
She said she had been looking to run for the seat if Truex chose not to run again in three years.
She aims to the keep the county on that conservative fiscal path that’s been established by the county commissioners and council over the years.
She works as a professor of business at Ivy Tech Community College, while also serving on the KEDCO infrastructure committee. She is involved with public policy with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and is president-elect for the Kiwanis.
Follow News Now Warsaw at Facebook.com/NewsNowWarsaw Wednesday night for up-to-date information on the caucus votes and final decision.
