By: Terry Whitt Bailey—
Muncie, IN—My name is Dr. Terry Whitt Bailey, and I am proud to be your Democrat candidate for the office of Mayor of the City of Muncie. I’m an honest and hardworking citizen of Muncie who has had a vast amount of local leadership experiences that include working at Ball State University, Cornerstone Center for the Arts and the City of Muncie. I believe that all of these opportunities and experiences have prepared me to be your Mayor for this historic and exciting time in Muncie. As your Mayor, I will vow to be inclusive, accessible, transparent and collaborative in all that I do.
I currently serve on multiple local boards including IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Meridian Health Services, Muncie Action Plan, Muncie Industrial Revolving Loan Fund, Muncie Land Bank and United Way of Delaware & Henry Counties just to name a few. I am a proud Muncie Rotarian and a founding member of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Team.
I am running for the opportunity to serve as Mayor because I see the untapped potential and opportunity that I believe only someone with my qualities, credentials and qualifications can bring to the Mayor’s Office. I want to bring hope and tangible growth to the people of Muncie. I’m an honest and hardworking citizen who has a vast amount of experiences and opportunities that have prepared me to be Mayor for this historic and exciting time. I’ve spent the last 20+ years serving in multiple capacities on 27 not-profit boards in Muncie, and now I’m ready to serve as Muncie’s next Mayor.
I purposely chose the informal tagline for my campaign of “Unbought & Unbossed” (inspired by and quoting from Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress (1968) and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president (1972). Like Chisholm, I am an unconventional candidate; not only because of my race and gender, but because I consciously decided to house my own headquarters for my campaign apart from the local Delaware County Democratic Party, and we consciously created a grassroots campaign with a diverse and inclusive team of dedicated volunteers.
This decision was not taken lightly, but it was absolutely necessary, and has been incredibly rewarding.
As you will see below, there is not just one community issue that helped me decide to seek office; however, all of these issues relate to access and accessibility. It would start by making sure that the people of Muncie have access to the Mayor and to information that they want to receive in the medium in which they want to receive it. I want the people of Muncie to know that they are important and that they are entitled to their basic needs being met. Icontinue to listen to the citizens of Muncie who are asking for transparency, inclusion, fiscal stewardship, and experienced leadership. I decided to run for Mayor of Muncie because I believe that the citizens are the heart of this city, and in order to live and thrive, we must have a leader who understand the value of her citizens and is willing to, not only listen, but to act professionally, efficiently and responsibly. I believe my work history and reputation demonstrates that I am the answer to those requests. I want to give people access and permission to be included, regardless of class, race, sexuality, religious beliefs, abilities and gender, and together, we can strategically align Muncie with a trajectory of greatness through collective and tangible collaborations.
As YOUR Mayor, I will be:
- Transparent. This is your government! I will take unprecedented steps to make our city government more open and accessible to Muncie residents – both in person and online. This includes regular updates and forums so that all residents can voice their opinions.
- Accountable. If you have a question or concern about our city government, I will find an answer. I will assemble a professional and experienced team that will perform their duties with a common goal of doing what is best for Muncie taxpayers.
- Responsive.I will work in a bipartisan manner on the issues that matter to all of us – workforce training and common-sense economic development, neighborhood revitalization and eliminating blight, modern infrastructure improvements, and increased attention for kids, Veterans and senior citizens.
As YOUR Mayor, I will be dedicated to:
- Citizen Engagement. Utilizing the existing partnerships and programs that currently exist, I will work closely with all citizens to make sure your voices are represented, heard and responded to in my administration.
- Education. Cradle to career must be our focus and education will always be a top priority with my Administration. We will work together with Ball State University, Ivy Tech Community College, Muncie Community Schools and all other learning institutions.
- Housing. I will work hard to establish city codes to ensure safe housing for renters, including college students. My office will seek grants to help first time home buyers and help citizens with housing rehabilitation.
- Public Safety. My administration will put more public safety personnel on our streets, and we will collaborate with neighborhood associations to strengthen community relationships that will lead to improved communication between city government and the citizens of Muncie.
- Diversity and Inclusion. I will give people access and permission to be included, regardless of class, race, sexuality, religious beliefs, abilities and gender and, together, we can strategically align Muncie with a trajectory of greatness through collective and tangible collaborations.
- Jobs. I will always remember that “the greatest social program is a job” and will work to retain good-paying jobs and recruit new jobs and businesses for Muncie. I will also celebrate existing small businesses and long-standing local businesses, and will offer support for training, certifications and professional development opportunities.
- Infrastructure. We will create a real-time paving and sidewalk plan that will be approved by our City Council and monitored by you based on the requirements of our funding.
As your Mayor, I want the people of Muncie to know that they are important and that they are entitled to their basic needs being met. I believe that the citizens are the heart of this city, and in order to live and thrive, we must have a leader who understands the value of her citizens and is willing to, not only listen, but to act. I believe my work history and reputation demonstrates that I am the answer to those requests. I want to give people access and permission to be included – regardless of class, race, sex, sexuality, national or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, abilities, gender or other status – and together, we will strategically align Muncie with a trajectory of greatness through collective and tangible collaborations.
Running for Mayor has been an incredible experience, especially working with so many dedicated volunteers and getting to meet so many people in our community who want someone who will listen to them and work hard to make a difference in our city. I am so grateful to you – the people of Muncie – for your support and for having faith in me. With your vote, you will help Muncie make history and become the city that she is ready to become. I will be the transformative leader that Muncie needs during this pivotal time in our history.
My name is Terry Whitt Bailey and I’m known throughout Muncie as the “Queen of Collaboration.” I am not a “Good Ol’ Boy.” Remember, together we rise, and together we can make Muncie a better place to live, work, worship and raise a family. I would appreciate your vote on November 5th. You can find out more about me at www.baileyformuncie.com.
The Muncie Journal provides political candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves. The Muncie Journal does not endorse this or other candidates and is not responsible for the content of the candidate’s statement.
