The Political Spotlight - Episodes Tagged with “Board Of Works”

#735 | Thursday, September 17, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 735th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is at his wit's end over what he sees as the complete breakdown of "public service" among far too many local public servants across East Central Indiana and beyond.

Muncie, Delaware County.
Anderson, Madison County.
Winchester, Randolph County.
New Castle, Henry County.
Indianapolis, Marion County.

Different communities. Different offices. Same recurring problem:

Too many people in public office seem to have forgotten who they work for... and too many citizens aren't involved and can't be bothered. It's only getting worse!

Bilbrey begins with a brief review of the most recent Muncie Board of Works meeting from Wednesday, September 16, 2026, then turns to the Muncie Redevelopment Commission meeting from earlier today, Thursday, September 17, 2026.

This is where the frustration really mounts.

As calmly as he can, Bilbrey attempts to explain the problems citizens face with the Redevelopment Commission — the decisions being made, the way business is conducted, the lack of accountability, and the larger question of whether the public is truly being served by those exercising public power: Mayor Dan Ridenour and Jeff Howe.

Then, for the rest of the episode, Bilbrey heads straight down the rabbit hole:

It is time for more people to run for local office! Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians!

Not someday! Not after the next disaster! Not after another four years of complaining! Now! Starting now, because the next election cycle begins in January 2027!

If citizens are tired of the same miserable mopes making the same bad decisions, someone has to step up and challenge them.

Bilbrey spends the rest of the show talking directly to the people who keep saying local government is broken — and asking the obvious question:

Are you willing to do something about it?

If better people never file, organize, campaign, or put their names on the ballot, nothing changes.

This episode is about local government, public service, accountability, citizen power, and finding the next generation of people willing to step forward and run for office.

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VIDEO version of Ep 735: https://youtube.com/live/qIRUU2HHGAM

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🚨🚨🚨
'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey
Produced by: Kate Thornburg & Brandon Rudd
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© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
—

#730 | Wednesday, September 09, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 730th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey turns his attention back to Muncie City government and several developments from Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

He begins with a review of this morning's Muncie Board of Works meeting. At 11 and a half minutes, the meeting was longer than usual, and there are likely a few points of interest that need to be covered, or uncovered!

Next, Bilbrey shares his thoughts on Ordinance 18-26 (the "In God We Trust" Ordinance), which the council will consider at the Monday, September 14, 2026, meeting.

From there, Bilbrey reviews Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour's community update from this afternoon — particularly the mayor's strong support for Flock license-plate reader cameras and his declaration that the City of Muncie intends to embrace the technology.

Bilbrey, of course, takes issue with that position, arguing that Ridenour approaches the surveillance question from an extremely unconservative perspective.

At a time when communities across the country, including in Indiana, are raising serious questions about privacy, government surveillance, data sharing, abuse, oversight, and constitutional liberty, Bilbrey asks why Muncie seems determined to move in the opposite direction.

The discussion then turns to the proposed 2027 Muncie budget.

For the past several years, all nine members of the Muncie City Council have participated in a series of budget meetings to work through the mayor's proposed spending plan. Will that process continue this year?

Given the current council leadership structure — and the political dynamics surrounding it — Bilbrey is not convinced the process will play out the same way.

Speaking of City Council leadership, Bilbrey shares his thoughts on what the council may look like next year. Who should hold the leadership positions, and who does Bilbrey believe will? What will those choices mean for the council's direction?

Finally, Bilbrey shares a quick update on a development related to the ongoing McKinley neighborhood situation that occurred today.

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VIDEO version of Ep 730: https://youtube.com/live/DqDETItnSVU

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#676 | Money Is the Root of All Politics! Politics Is a Synonym for Evil! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey examines the Probable Cause Affidavit for the arrest of former Delaware County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) office manager Meagan Coutinho.

Coutinho was arrested earlier today, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, by the Indiana State Police on six felony charges. She was booked into the Delaware County Jail on a $30,000.00 bond and was able to bond out of jail almost immediately.

Her charges stem from two separate incidents. One involves allegations of theft from the Delaware County Government, and the other involves allegations of theft from a sports booster program at Delta High School.

Coutinho's charges are as follows:

Count 1: Theft
(Delta Golf Boosters)
IC 35-43-4-2 Level 6 Felony...

Count 2: Theft
(Delaware County Government)
IC 35-43-4-2 Level 5 Felony...

Count 3: Theft
(Delaware County EMS)
IC 35-43-4-2 Level 6 Felony...

Count 4: Theft
(Delaware County Government)
IC 35-43-4-2 Level 6 Felony...

Count 5: Official Misconduct
IC 35-44.1-1-1 Level 6 Felony...

Count 6: Conflict of Interest
IC 35-44.1-1-4 Level 5 Felony...

Coutinho is alleged to have taken more than $200,000 over the past four years, during which she was among the 20 highest-paid employees in Delaware County. Bilbrey demands to know how this was possible!

There is much to unpack about Coutinho's actions, but that is only half the story. Her husband, John, is the Director of the Emergency Management Agency of Delaware County. He has been on paid leave while this investigation runs its course. What did he know? How could he not have known? Again, HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

Bilbrey examines the broader implications of this situation.

While keeping the focus on fiscal questions, Bilbrey shifts to the City of Muncie. The Board of Works held its weekly meeting earlier today, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The meeting raised a serious concern for careful observers.

Did Jeff Howe, the Director of the Muncie Redevelopment Commission and the recently appointed Deputy Mayor, who is also currently the "Acting" Mayor of the City of Muncie, receive a raise around the first of the year (2026) that no one knew about?

All this and more in an ACTION-PACKED episode!

This episode connects to episode 681. Click the following link to listen to that episode: https://youtube.com/live/peN24gRaVfc . . .

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VIDEO version of Ep 676: https://youtube.com/live/oa9h375x6QM

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Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
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============================

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Email: tpsprogram@gmail.com

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🚨🚨🚨
'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey & Brandon Rudd
Produced by: Kate Thornburg
https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://rumble.com/c/ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
https://www.facebook.com/Bilbrey318
https://www.facebook.com/PoliticalSpotlight318
https://www.tiktok.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://x.com/BilbreyLIVE
Email: tpsprogram@gmail.com
© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
—

#646 | Tim Hollems (R) Candidate for Delaware Co Circuit Ct Judge! & More! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Join Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey as he welcomes Tim Hollems, a Republican candidate for Delaware County Circuit Court 5 Judge, to the show.

Hollems has served as a master commissioner in the Delaware County, Indiana, court system for the past nine years. Before becoming a master commissioner, he served as an attorney for the Indiana Department of Child Services for more than 10 years. He has practiced law for nearly 30 years.

He is a 1997 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and graduated from the Indiana Judicial College in 2021.

Hollems and his wife have lived in Muncie since 2003, raising their two children in the community.

Bilbrey and Hollems discuss the campaign, Hollems' views on the current state of Delaware County's judicial system, and his plans for the Court if elected.

Connect with Hollems on social media via the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575686743214 . . .

After the interview, Bilbrey discusses the State Board of Accounts' report on the Special Investigation into the City of Muncie Parks Department in greater detail.

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VIDEO version of Ep 646: https://youtube.com/live/g5uZvApq8yk

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#645 | SBoA Investigation of the City of Muncie's Parks Department! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey steps away from the candidate interviews for this 645th episode of the show to examine the State Board of Accounts' Report on its Special Investigation into the City of Muncie's Parks and Recreation Department.

Bilbrey has covered this investigation over the past few weeks while awaiting the report's public release. The Political Spotlight has been on this story every step of the way since April 13, 2020.

For those interested in reading the report on their own time, click the following link:

https://audit.sboa.in.gov/WebReports/26780I.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawRU8M9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFIZnh1YW9pRlN3WWFrU2dBc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHodUQ7CJ2u3AU2TwVDkGszHgPLk4zEvbnypgTjCKFNpK4jQPN0UGTgCw6JdJ_aem_YLMnUxTHBP1F0bNQ80davw . . .

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VIDEO version of Ep 645: https://youtube.com/live/b5kBpSssGRo

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#616 | Always Positive / Always Negative: The State of Our Community! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey discusses the "State of Our Community" (City of Muncie & Delaware County) from earlier in the day (Thursday, March 5, 2026).

Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour and Delaware County Commissioner Stephen Brand addressed nearly 500 attendees this morning, highlighting their respective "achievements for 2025" and "goals for 2026."

Bilbrey reviews the event and shares his thoughts here!

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VIDEO version of Ep 616: https://youtube.com/live/Jo8QD4Jqnr4

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#557 | Thursday, November 13, 2025 - Chit Chat! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500

This 557th episode of 'The Political Spotlight' will be an open-topic show!

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is currently working on a few topics that aren't quite ready to explore yet, and even though it seems like a lot is happening, everything still feels like it's moving at a snail's pace.

There are a few odds and ends to cover as we head into the weekend; this is always a strange time of year, politically speaking. But, as usual, Bilbrey will make the most of it!

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VIDEO version of Ep 557: https://youtube.com/live/-a9gkOuUF0A

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#548 | Wasting Time, Drawing Lines! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the program to discuss the redistricting nonsense that Indiana Governor Mike Braun and other bumbling elected officials are currently trying to make happen. All because the White House wants it.

This is a national, state, and local politics topic!

Keeping Katherine on topic is always a challenge... Bilbrey really tried this episode!

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VIDEO version of Ep 548: https://youtube.com/live/bRSGN0kGxMA

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#542 | Access, Emails, and an Investigation! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Counting down the minutes, hours, and days until the Muncie City Council meeting on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey updates everyone on the Public Access Complaint, reviews some emails, and shares his desire for the City Council to investigate the Resolution 16-25/17-25 fiasco!

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VIDEO version of Ep 542: https://youtube.com/live/o9eX2OEQNgw

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