By Grant Karazsia, Staff Writer, Greene County Daily World
Next Tuesday, November the third, is election day. Polls in areas where there are contested races will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. In Linton there are five contested races.
The race for the Linton Clerk-Treasurer will feature sitting Linton City Councilman Jathan Wright, a Democrat, running against sitting Linton-Stockton School Board member John Preble, a Republican. Preble was unopposed in the May primary while Wright defeated the incumbent clerk-treasurer, Jack Shelton.Democrat Jathan Wright is a native of Linton, and is not shy about his love for his hometown.
“I may sound like a broken record, but I simply love Linton. My love of the city was instilled in me at a young age. Linton is proudly my home — it is where I’ve grown up and where I plan to raise my family,” Wright said.
Wright said he has been very active during the campaign season talking to voters from each corner of Linton.
“I have walked the streets of Linton and knocked on doors echoing that sentiment to the people of our community and asking for their votes. I am asking the community once again that on November 3 they would give me the consideration of receiving their vote for Linton Clerk Treasurer.
“I may sound like a broken record, but I simply love Linton. My love of the city was instilled in me at a young age. Linton is proudly my home — it is where I’ve grown up and where I plan to raise my family” – Jathan Wright
“It would be an honor to serve the people in the community I love. If elected, I pledge to be a proactive and working Clerk-Treasurer that not only has Linton’s present in mind, but also Linton’s future,” Wright said.
Wright explained his commitment and passion for the Linton community, the city and its people, motivated him to seek election to the office of clerk-treasurer.
“I plan to take the same approach managing the work of the clerk-treasurer’s office that I have employed in my role as city councilman. My years of experience on the city council demonstrate that I am a proven pro-active leader who has also served on various boards and committees,” Wright said.
Wright said that revitalization of the Linton community is currently the biggest issue facing Linton.
Wright says his priorities as clerk-treasurer will include “revitalization in the context of maintaining and improving infrastructure through effective and efficient financial planning and management; maintaining and improving the quality and delivery of services to citizens via quarterly financial assessments of the city’s equipment and its ongoing financial capability; troubleshooting and creating financial solutions that will help the city capitalize on opportunities to compete in the current environment of limited financial resources; and creating financial programs and solutions that ensure convenient, streamlined and transparent information, which enables citizens to conveniently access city services, electronically pay utility bills, and help residents (and city council) understand financial decisions, purchases and initiatives that are being actively pursued or considered by the City of Linton.”
Besides being a Linton councilman, Wright is a coach for a Linton youth flag football team and a member of Linton FOP.
Wright has served on the Greene County Solid Waste Board for two years as board president and states he is a strong advocate for recycling in Linton.
Wright is a member of the Linton Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Committee.
“I helped compile the city’s first ADA Transition Plan through various meetings and workshops. As a member of the Linton Municipal Pool Board, I worked with board members, former Councilman Nigel Lehman, and church organizations to raise the funds to purchase the ADA chair-lift and concrete work that was federally mandated to be purchased and functioning before the pool could reopen,” Wright said.
In terms of the Linton Pool, Wright explained he is proud of the efforts both he and Lehman made to keep the doors open.
“I am extremely proud of our fundraising efforts, with the community generously donating over $25,000. My service on the city council also included being selected city council president in 2014. My leadership skills have proven to be hands-on and diligent, which is type of leader we need in the clerk-treasurer’s office,” Wright said.
Wright, 26, currently resides in south Linton, in the area many refer to as “Wrightsville.”
Wright is a 2008 graduate of Linton-Stockton High School and a 2013 graduate of Indiana State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science. During his time at ISU, Wright said he remained in the Linton community while completing coursework by commuting to school.
“My education background in political science has enabled me to study the different levels and types of government and the interrelationships. My education, combined with my experiences that I have from serving on the Linton City Council, has provided me the insights on how the clerk-treasurer’s office should function,” said Wright.
Wright is an employee of Logic Key Inc. (School Management Software Company), where he works in technical support and public relations. He has been employed at Logic Key since November of 2013.