Plymouth mayoral candidates debate, first new mayor since 2008

 

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. -- In a short few weeks, Plymouth will be electing a brand-new mayor!

On Wednesday night, the Plymouth Rotary Club hosted a ‘Meet the Candidates Night and Mayoral Debate’ at the REES Theater for voters in Plymouth to learn who will be on their ballots on Election Day.

It's the first time in 15 years there's been two new candidates facing off for the seat, with longtime Mayor Mark Senter deciding not to run for re-election earlier this year.

“It’s super important to know what the candidate platforms are and what direction they want to take the city,” says Bryan Howard with the Plymouth Rotary Club.

Republican candidate Greg Compton and democratic candidate Robert Listenberger are familiar faces in Plymouth, both with experience on the City Council.

In Wednesday night’s debate, the two discussed several topics important to Plymouth residents; like the recent unionization of the fire department, the denial of the Veterans Parkway extension, the Marshall County Blue Zones project, and alternative energy sources to name a few.

One topic especially important to the community is the shrinking access to quality healthcare, after Saint Joseph Health System closed down multiple health services in Marshall County over the last year.

“I know a group of leaders across Marshall County who have been regularly meeting to address the healthcare provider issue. As your mayor, I am eager to join them,” said Robert Listenberger, democratic candidate for mayor.

“We really need to work with Saint Joe Hospital, or we need to bring another hospital in to offer the services that our community needs,” said republican candidate for mayor, Greg Compton.

Listenberger says the city needs to make moves to grow, while Compton, who is endorsed by former Mayor Senter, believes the population size is okay as-is.

Both made it clear they want to see the city flourish.

“What we need to do is all work together to rebuild our neighborhoods,” Compton believes. “With that, people will start taking better care of their homes, better care of their yards, and make it a much better place to live and work.”

“As a team, we’re going to pursue population growth because it’s critical to economic growth,” Listenberger said. “We’re going to tackle the challenges of economic and workforce development to support our hardworking families.”