Democrat Jerome Prince, who currently has no Republican standing between him and the Gary mayor’s office in the November election, plans to spend the next few months listening to Gary residents he hopes will be offer ideas about how the quality of life in the city can improve.
Prince, who won the Democratic primary for mayor in May, is planning a series “Can We Talk?” sessions.
The first forum is scheduled for June 28 at 3885 Broadway.
More forums will be held from July through September, with the intent being to hold a forum in each of the six Common Council districts.
Prince says his intent is to come up with ideas for what he could achieve once he takes over as mayor.
In a prepared statement he said he “envisions a city where people from all parts of Gary will have equal say in how the city is run and where all citizens have access to information about the city’s plans, goals and finances.”
Prince said he wants his forums to be informal and conversational in format so as to encourage people to speak out.
“Hiding information, whether it’s about finances or long-term objectives can silence people and leave them out of the decision-making process,” Prince said.
Although Prince says he’ll seek out ideas on any subject, he said he’d be particularly interested in thoughts about cost-savings for city government, improvements in trash and litter pickup, and thoughts on how to improve the appearance and safety of Gary neighborhoods.
“The main thing is that people know how much I value their input, no matter who they are,” Prince said. “Diversity of perspectives is key, and I look forward to hearing” from people.
Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.