A total of 327 people attended the one and only Westfield Mayoral Debate held by the Westfield Chamber of Commerce on Monday, April 17. The three Republican Westfield mayoral candidates participated – Kristen Burkman, Jake Gilbert, and Scott Willis. No Democrats are running for Mayor.
WKRP Indy Real Estate was the event’s title sponsor. Westfield Chamber CEO Steve Latour and Westfield Chamber Chairman Steve Rupp with the Zulu Group at Keller Williams Realty served as the debate moderators.
The 90-minute debate included questions about economic development, managing city employees, public safety, roads, and city infrastructure. The Chamber recorded the debate, and it is now available in its entirety on its Facebook page or the Chamber’s YouTube channel.
The first question came from Westfield business owner Birch Dalton: Recently, Bastian announced that they were going to move their operations in Westfield to a new facility much larger facility in Noblesville. How did the fastest-growing city in Indiana lose out on this opportunity? What will you do as Mayor to ensure strong companies come to Westfield? The candidates were also specifically asked about attorney fees and how they would manage illegal substance abuse, vandalism, and fentanyl.
The final question came from the Westfield Chamber: Like him or not, Mayor Cook built Grand Park, which now brings more than 3.5 million visitors to Westfield annually. He led the effort to create Grand Junction Plaza, which now has new developments growing around it. If you are Mayor, what will you be known for in your four or eight years of service to Westfield?
The three supporting sponsors of the event were the Paris Insurance Group, Midtown Home Collective F.C. Tucker, and Kurt Wanninger for City Council At-Large.
Early voting is now underway in Hamilton County. The early voting locations are available on the Hamilton County website. The Primary Election is Tuesday, May 2.