“I think it is important to maintain a good level of service in these times: police, fire, and streets are top priorities,” said Bennett, “I don’t want to lay people off, but there’s just not any money. I hope to make budget by employee attrition. … I know of many worthy projects like a new animal shelter that might be good ideas, but the money currently isn’t there.”

In spite of budget woes, Bennett thinks he is taking strong steps to prepare Terre Haute’s future by his active partnering with local economic entities.

A bright spot Bennett envisions on the economic horizon is the work of the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative, RHIC (a partnership of the city of Terre Haute, Union Hospital, the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp., Indiana State University, Indiana University Medical School and Ivy Tech Community College). He says that as the transformation in rural health care education taking place at the Landsbaum Center for Health Education in Terre Haute continues, because of RHIC, he can see businesses cropping up in Terre Haute to make software and biotech for the health care industry.”

“We have the schools here,” Bennett said. “We need to retain talented young people.”

Bennett believes there will be a rural health care administration building erected in the vicinity of Union Hospital during the next two to three years.  As Bennett looks ahead in the next 10 years, he sees a city within a city of residences, buildings and businesses developing in Terre Haute between Third and Eighth streets and Locust Street to Eighth Avenue.”

Another of Bennett’s local economic partners, Steve Witt, president of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp., said, “Duke has really embraced the Terre Haute Innovation Alliance, which is comprised of Terre Haute City, the Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation, Indiana State and Rose-Hulman.”

The alliance provides services to tech-type start-ups and small companies through projects with Rose-Hulman and ISU. According to Witt, not only has Bennett participated in THEDC’s meetings and on its executive committee, but “his strong background in information technology makes him an asset at evaluating good business fits with what we are doing.”

“Mayor Bennett has been eager to work with the business community to help Terre Haute move forward. …,” said Rod Henry, president of Terre Haute’s Chamber of Commerce. “Would we like to see infrastructure projects go along faster? Absolutely! However, his hands are tied. What we have been accustomed to in the past is no longer practical.”

Bennett feels he made a coup for the city through his meetings with U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar and U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth. The legislators arranged for funding for consultants to look at helping reduce the problem of trains blocking traffic. He believes this will lead to local rail companies moving some yards so they will not have such an impact on city streets.

The City Council that Bennett works with is all Democratic, and council members have expressed varying regard for Bennett’s accomplishments as mayor.

“I’ve definitely come to respect Mayor Bennett as a capable manager and someone who has a financial background in the business world that helps to make him an effective leader,” said Todd Nation, the president of the Terre Haute City Council. “… I haven’t seen the City Council stand against him very much because what he brings to us is, for the most part, sound.”

Norm Loudermilk, a four-term Democratic city councilman widely rumored to be a future candidate for mayor, is also positive about Bennett in some ways: “His integrity is beyond reproach.  … He doesn’t play political games. … He encourages discussion. It’s refreshing to work around a man who won’t try to get you when you disagree with him. … I think he’s doing his best under difficult circumstances.”

The councilman said that his differences with Bennett are similar to “I prefer my chili hot and spicy and you may want yours another way.”

He believes Terre Haute needs to set down footprints now for the next 10 years so it can be ready to go when the current economic situation passes:  “We’re still renting a police station in a former bank building two years into this administration. This can’t be good. We need to be drawing a blueprint for the future now.”

Loudermilk expressed several other areas of disagreements with Bennett:  “We have a problem with animal control. Feral cats are getting out of hand.  Trash is all over the place because cats are pulling it out of trash cans. … The city should have tried harder to absorb increasing insurance costs instead of allowing so much to be passed on to employees. … The city should have spent more money on city services instead of replenishing its ‘Rainy Day Fund’ so quickly.”

In the face of political criticism, Bennett seems to keep an even keel. He feels his years of refereeing have taught him not to let things get to him and to strive to be fair when making calls on issues, whether encroachment calls in a football game or multi-million dollar budgetary decisions.

“I don’t like making emotional decisions,” he said.  “I’d rather think about something for a few days or weeks.  I want to be able to defend my decisions because sometimes it’s hard to get all the facts — they may not be as they first appear.”

With regard to his political future, Bennett said, “I absolutely will run for re-election. I love the challenges of the job, the diversity. I never know what kind of a problem the next person coming through the door will have, and I love serving people.”

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