You might have heard otherwise, but Democrat Ray Dudley is not in legal jeopardy because he was wearing his Delaware County sheriff’s uniform on Jan. 10, when he filed to run in this year’s election.
The sheriff was accompanied to the Delaware County Building by a group of deputies and other members of his department, and several of them were also in uniform that morning.
Calls and letters quickly began to circulate – in W/R’s case, always delivered anonymously – suggesting Dudley and his supporters had violated a state law that prohibits law enforcement officers and firefighters from “recklessly” engaging in political activity while in uniform.
Those expressing those concerns also suggested Indiana State Police were investigating, and Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold was poised to charge the sheriff with a related Class A misdemeanor.
Arnold said Friday he has absolutely no intention of pursuing such a prosecution over a law he considers “stupid.”
“This is such a ridiculous statute to create a misdemeanor that really should be an issue before the election board,” the prosecutor said.
Arnold added he was by no means certain the law cited would even apply to the events of Jan. 10.
The prosecutor – who is a Republican – also said he and his staff had “about 900 things to do that are more important” than an attire-related probe.
“I have really tried to keep politics out of this office,” Arnold said. “Filing a charge under that statute, regardless of political affiliation, is nothing but political.”
Arnold has not officially decided whether he will be a candidate for a third term as prosecutor in this year’s election.
His chief deputy prosecutor, Eric Hoffman, has filed to seek the office as a Democrat. Hoffman was reportedly not wearing a uniform when he filed related paperwork at the Indiana Statehouse on Jan. 10.
County still skeptical of city blight efforts
It's true there's no love lost between the Delaware County commissioners and most aspects of Mayor Dennis Tyler's administration. From 911 to a city ambulance service proposal, relations between the local government leaders have long since soured.
The city and county disagreement over the use of tax-delinquent properties in the city's blight removal program roiled against last week. The commissioners last fall said they wouldn't approve the donation of any more tax-delinquent properties to the city until they saw some parcels returned to tax rolls.
In a Monday meeting, Todd Donati — the city's economic development officer and a former Delaware County commissioner and council member — asked the commissioners about ending the moratorium.
Commissioners James King and Shannon Henry quizzed Donati before joining Commissioner Sherry Riggin in agreeing that more properties could go to the city.
The approval came only after Donati assured the commissioners that the city had no interest in "sitting on" properties but wanted to try to put them in the hands of neighbors or, at least, demolish abandoned buildings on them.
"I have no interest in them," Donati told the commissioners. "I'd be glad to give them back to you."
"We're giving all these properties to the city and nothing's getting done with them," Henry said.
Ultimately the three commissioners approved giving more properties to the city but only after they were told more buildings would be demolished within six months to a year.
Contact Douglas Walker at 765-213-5851 and dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com.