Displaying 2 items of The Political Spotlight with the tag "delaware county budget".
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#729 | Tuesday, September 08, 2026 | The Political Spotlight
September 8th, 2026 | 2 hrs 24 mins
2026 election, 2026 general election, campaign behavior, campaigns, candidate responsibility, candidates, citizen oversight, city of muncie, county budget meetings, county council meeting, delaware county, delaware county budget, delaware county government, delaware county indiana, east central indiana, elected officials, government accountability, government spending, government transparency, henry county, henry county government, henry county indiana, henry county politics, henry county sheriff, henry county sheriff's office, indiana elections, indiana politics, local government, local politics, madison county, madison county council, madison county government, madison county indiana, madison county politics, mckinley neighborhood, mckinley neighborhood muncie, muncie, muncie budget, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie politics, political candidates, proposed 2027 muncie budget, public meetings, public office, public servants, randy howard, taxpayer money
Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey returns from the Labor Day holiday for Episode #729 of The Political Spotlight as the program gets back on track heading toward the 2026 general election. Bilbrey begins in Muncie and Delaware County, previewing the City of Muncie's proposed 2027 budget, ongoing county budget discussions, and the developing McKinley Neighborhood situation—both stories that will receive deeper attention in future episodes. From there, the spotlight moves to Henry County, where Bilbrey discusses concerns involving a former employee of the Henry County Sheriff's Office. Then comes a broader discussion about candidates, campaigns, and the responsibility that comes with seeking public office. What should someone understand before filing to run? What does a candidate's behavior tell voters about how that person might act once entrusted with public power? Bilbrey uses the latest developments involving Randy Howard to dig into those questions. Finally, the program heads west to Madison County, where a heated County Council meeting reminds viewers why citizens should pay much closer attention to local government. Madison County's council is the county's fiscal body and holds regular public meetings. #ThePoliticalSpotlight
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#722 | Wednesday, August 26, 2026 | The Political Spotlight
August 26th, 2026 | 1 hr 24 mins
2027 budget, Election Law, Privacy, august 25 2026 election, ballot programming error, barton joe whitesitt, civil liberties, constitutional rights, data sharing, delaware county, delaware county budget, delaware county politics, election controversy, election results, flock cameras, flock safety, fort wayne city council, government accountability, government overreach, government surveillance, indiana politics, karla easton gorman, knightstown, knightstown special election, liberty, license plate readers, lit distributions, local government, local income tax, local politics, mass surveillance, mud creek studio, muncie, muncie budget, muncie city council, muncie politics, public safety, public trust, technical problems, voter turnout
Episode #722 of The Political Spotlight is a different kind of show. Broadcasting outside Mud Creek Studio amid ongoing internet and studio problems, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey opens up candidly about several difficult weeks, including a health scare that thankfully turned out all right, exhaustion, loss, stress, and life behind the microphone. Then it's back to business. Bilbrey examines Muncie and Delaware County's early 2027 budget picture after Indiana released its estimated Local Income Tax distributions. He then turns to Fort Wayne's unanimous 9–0 City Council vote to end funding for Flock Safety license-plate-reader cameras over concerns about surveillance, privacy, constitutional rights, civil liberties, data sharing, transparency, and government overreach. Bilbrey argues that the Muncie City Council should take notice, reject further expansion, end funding, and begin removing Muncie's existing Flock cameras. Finally, Bilbrey breaks down the dramatic results of Knightstown's August 25 special election, ordered after ballot-programming problems affected the May Republican primary. Clerk-Treasurer Barton Joe Whitesitt reversed a two-vote May loss and defeated Karla R. Easton Gorman by 40 votes in August, while turnout dropped sharply. Bilbrey examines the timeline, changing numbers, election controversy, campaign allegations, and why claims of election-law violations still require actual evidence. A heavy episode covering local government, budgets, surveillance, constitutional liberty, elections, accountability—and life behind the microphone. #ThePoliticalSpotlight