The Political Spotlight - Episodes Tagged with “Muncie Budget”

#738 | Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is nearing his breaking point...

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VIDEO version of Ep 738: https://youtube.com/live/6nrU7B7sc8I

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🚨🚨🚨
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#737 | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

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

In this 737th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey takes a close look at several local-government meetings across East Central Indiana — and there is plenty to discuss!

Bilbrey begins with the first Muncie City Council Finance Committee meeting, held earlier this evening, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as councilors began reviewing the proposed 2027 city budget.

Before delving into the meeting itself, a few questions need answering.

Who knew what, and when did they know it? Who was informed about the meeting, how were they informed, and who might have been left out of the loop?

Bilbrey offers insight into what he believes is ongoing "game play" by the Ridenour Administration and inept Council leadership.

Then there is the meeting itself.

What should have been an opportunity for serious discussion of Muncie's financial future became, in Bilbrey's view, an absolute MOCKERY of the budget process!

From there, Bilbrey turns to the Delaware County Commissioners' meeting on Monday morning, September 21, 2026, where he shares his thoughts on the county's "letter of intent" for nuclear energy, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs).

Finally, the spotlight returns to Winchester, Indiana, where Monday evening's Winchester City Council meeting addressed the former Volunteers of America (VOA) Winchester House facility at 313 South Meridian Street.

Bilbrey shares his thoughts on the latest development and what he has done since the last show.

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VIDEO version of Ep 737: https://youtube.com/live/l6QcTa2dIfo

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#736 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 736th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey brings back an old favorite right up front: Winchester, Indiana!

It all began with a Winchester Board of Works meeting that two sources sent to Bilbrey for very different reasons. While reviewing the meeting, something caught his attention—and suddenly, an old controversy came back to mind.

That's right. Bilbrey revisits former Winchester Mayor Shon Byrum (D), the five bumbling Republicans who served on the Winchester City Council, and the disastrous decision that brought the "Winchester House" drug treatment facility to Winchester.

Bilbrey recounts what he sees as Byrum's attempt to jump-start his political career by putting Volunteers of America (VOA)'s interests ahead of his responsibility to Winchester's citizens.

But that was roughly TEN YEARS AGO! VOA has been gone from Winchester for years.

So what brought all this back now?

Bilbrey shares what caught his attention at the Winchester Board of Works meeting and takes a well-deserved, long-awaited victory lap!

From there, the spotlight shifts back to Muncie, where the City Council is preparing for three key meetings about the proposed 2027 budget.

All three meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET:

Meeting 1 - Tuesday, September 22, 2026...
Meeting 2 - Thursday, September 24, 2026...
Meeting 3 - Wednesday, September 30, 2026...

The next couple of weeks in Muncie will be critical, and Bilbrey explains why citizens need to pay attention!

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VIDEO version of Ep 736: https://youtube.com/live/Dx0F4IssGXE

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#734 | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - (PART 2) | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

This is Episode 734, Part 2, the conclusion, of The Political Spotlight's two-part look at the completely "OFF THE RAILS" Muncie City Council meeting.

In this episode, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey will conclude his detailed commentary and analysis of everything that happened—including the highs and lows, the winners and losers, the status of major issues, and what comes next for Muncie. Specifically, Bilbrey will cover:

The Council's discussion, public input, and first vote on Ordinance 19-26, which would amend Ordinance 16-25, the City of Muncie's salary ordinance.
The Council's discussion, public input, and first votes on Ordinances 20-26, 21-26, and 22-26, the three proposed budget ordinances for MITS, the MSD, and the city.
The Council's discussion, public input, and vote on Resolutions 13-26 and 14-26. Resolution 13-26 asks the Council to investigate how the city and George-Jeffrey Howe handled his contract. Resolution 14-26 is a memorial resolution honoring Craig Wright, who passed away.
The Public Comments portion of the meeting.

That concludes Part 2 - Episode 734. As a reminder, in Part 1, Episode 733, which aired on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Bilbrey covered the following topics:

The Public Hearing before the regular meeting, during which Ordinances 20-26, 21-26, and 22-26 were made public "on the record," and citizens were allowed to speak on each ordinance if they wished!
The start of the regular meeting and the housekeeping issues addressed before the Ordinances and Resolutions were discussed.
The Council's discussion, public input, and first vote on Ordinance 16-26, a zoning issue.
The Council's discussion, public input, and first vote on Ordinance 17-26, which seeks to expand the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas in Downtown Muncie. A nonissue the Council spent too much time on, unlike serious issues they try to push through with little time or thought.
The Council's discussion, public input, and first vote on Ordinance 18-26, the "In God We Trust" Ordinance, the meeting's first major issue. Citizens and the Council trade blows, and, of course, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour shows up with an attitude. The Council continues to show just how backward they are on nearly everything.

Episode 733 - Part 1 LINK: https://youtube.com/live/Qnl-61qySz8 . . .

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VIDEO version of Ep 734: https://youtube.com/live/BBNSXba_8_w

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#733 | Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - (PART 1) | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey reviews the completely "OFF THE RAILS" Muncie City Council meeting, including a public hearing held before the regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Bilbrey analyzes the meeting's proceedings in this two-part series: Part 1 - Episode 733, aired Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and Part 2 - Episode 734, aired Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

In this 733rd episode (Part 1), Bilbrey provides a comprehensive breakdown of the important September 14, 2026, Muncie City Council meeting, beginning with the Public Hearing on the three "Budget Ordinances" 20-26 for the Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS), 21-26 for the Muncie Sanitary District (MSD), and 22-26 for the City of Muncie. Bilbrey has been concerned that the council's current leadership would strip six of the nine councilors from the Finance Committee, returning to the old 3-person Finance Committee, which makes no sense and would be an extremely partisan move.

Bilbrey and City Councilor William McIntosh both support keeping the entire council involved in the budget process. But not everyone on the council sees it the same way.

From there, Bilbrey's review turns to the regular meeting, where he explains the document the council's attorney presents to the council and the public at the start. Bilbrey fully supports it!

Next, Bilbrey covers the discussion of Ordinances 16-26, 17-26, and 18-26.

Ordinance 16-26 is pretty simple, yet the council, being as incompetent as they are, manages to screw it up.

Ordinance 17-26 is another non-issue; however, the council spends a good amount of time discussing it, and Bilbrey shares his thoughts.

To wrap up Part 1 - Episode 733, Bilbrey covers Ordinance 18-26, the "In God We Trust" Ordinance, the meeting's first major issue. Citizens and the Council trade blows, and, of course, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour shows up with an attitude. The Council continues to show just how backward they are on nearly everything.

This concludes Part 1 - Episode 733.

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In Part 2 - Episode 734, Bilbrey will conclude his analysis and commentary on the September 14, 2026, Muncie City Council Meeting, including:

The Council's discussion, public input, and first vote on Ordinance 19-26, which would amend Ordinance 16-25, the City of Muncie's salary ordinance.
The Council's discussion, public input, and first votes on Ordinances 20-26, 21-26, and 22-26, the three proposed budget ordinances for MITS, the MSD, and the city.
The Council's discussion, public input, and vote on Resolutions 13-26 and 14-26. Resolution 13-26 asks the Council to investigate how the city and George-Jeffrey Howe handled his contract. Resolution 14-26 is a memorial resolution honoring Craig Wright, who passed away.
The Public Comments portion of the meeting.

Episode 734 - Part 2 LINK: https://youtube.com/live/BBNSXba_8_w . . .

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VIDEO version of Ep 733: https://youtube.com/live/Qnl-61qySz8

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#732 | Sunday, September 13, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey looks ahead to a busy week in local politics — starting with the Muncie City Council meeting on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Bilbrey previews what to expect, shares his thoughts on several issues likely to shape the meeting, and offers a broader look at the current state of Muncie City Council leadership.

How will the council conduct itself during the meeting?

How will current leadership address the issues at hand?

What should citizens expect from the council as the budget season and the city's day-to-day operations continue?

Only time will tell!

From there, Bilbrey turns to the ongoing issues involving Delaware Township Trustee Denise Thornburg and Attorney John Brooke.

A lot is going on in Delaware Township, and Bilbrey breaks down the latest developments, the personalities involved, the broader questions about local government, legal strategy, and accountability, and how strange the situation has been.

Then the show heads south to Henry County, where Bilbrey offers commentary on the two sheriff candidates and what voters should watch for as the race unfolds.

Finally, as election season rapidly approaches, Bilbrey begins outlining how The Political Spotlight plans to cover candidates from across the region and beyond.

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VIDEO version of Ep 732: https://youtube.com/live/gwP1CcKMZ2M

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#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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#729 | Tuesday, September 08, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is back from the Labor Day 2026 holiday for the 729th episode of The Political Spotlight!

The program gets back on track as the 2026 general election season approaches; there's work to be done concerning the election and all the insanity in local, state, and national government.

Bilbrey begins with a look at the City of Muncie's proposed 2027 budget and the ongoing Delaware County Budget meetings. This is just a teaser, as a more in-depth episode is coming.

Also, as another teaser, Bilbrey again mentions the McKinley Neighborhood ordeal currently underway in Muncie. As he has always known, this is going to be a bigger story than it has already been made out to be.

From there, Bilbrey turns to Henry County, where he has heard of another concerning situation involving a former employee of the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

The conversation then shifts to candidates, campaigns, and political behavior.

Bilbrey wants people to understand what they need to know before they file to run for public office. It seems like many don't fully understand the responsibilities that come with becoming a candidate and, if elected, a public servant.

That discussion includes the latest round of craziness involving Randy Howard and what his behavior says about candidates, campaigns, and the people who decide to put their names on the ballot.

Finally, Bilbrey heads west to Madison County, where tonight's County Council meeting became heated — giving us one more example of why local government deserves far more attention than it usually receives.

Episode 729 is a bit of a catch-all:

Muncie budgets. Delaware County government. Henry County concerns. Candidates behaving badly. Randy Howard. Madison County politics.

As election season 2026 comes into focus, The Political Spotlight is back on track and moving onward and upward.

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VIDEO version of Ep 729: https://youtube.com/live/R2hVEciBVvc

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#722 | Wednesday, August 26, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:00:00 -0400

This was a different kind of episode of The Political Spotlight.

While dealing with ongoing technical issues, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey broadcasts this 722nd episode from outside Mud Creek Studio. As major internet and studio problems persist, Bilbrey begins with a brief emotional breakdown, discussing several stressful weeks—including a health scare that turned out all right, thank God! Bilbrey then talks candidly about exhaustion, loss, stress, and everything he has been dealing with behind the scenes.

From there, Bilbrey gets down to business.

MUNCIE & DELAWARE COUNTY'S 2027 BUDGET PICTURE:

The State of Indiana has released its estimated 2027 Local Income Tax distributions, providing the city, the county, and The Political Spotlight with one of the first important benchmarks for the upcoming budget meetings for the City of Muncie and Delaware County.

FORT WAYNE CITY COUNCIL SAYS NO TO FLOCK — BY A VOTE OF 9 TO 0:

The Republican-led Fort Wayne City Council voted UNANIMOUSLY, 9–0, to end funding for the city's Flock Safety license-plate-reader system.

Six Republicans... Three Democrats... Nine NO votes...

Council members raised concerns about mass surveillance, constitutional rights, privacy, civil liberties, government overreach, data sharing, transparency, and public trust.

While this is great for Fort Wayne, Bilbrey mentions it because he believes the Muncie City Council needs to investigate what happened there. He hopes this vote will draw the attention of every member of the Muncie City Council.

Muncie already has more than 20 Flock cameras, and Bilbrey makes his position clear: the Muncie City Council should reject further expansion, end funding for the program, and begin removing the existing cameras.

Public safety matters! So does liberty!

KNIGHTSTOWN'S TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026, SPECIAL ELECTION — THE NUMBERS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY:

Knightstown's unusual 2026 Republican primary saga culminated in a special election on Tuesday, August 25, 2026—and the results looked very different from those of the May primary.

The original May primary was marred by a ballot-programming error that allowed some voters outside Knightstown to receive ballots that included Knightstown races. Litigation followed, and a judge ordered a new election. Voters returned to the polls in August.

In May, Karla R. Easton Gorman narrowly defeated incumbent Clerk-Treasurer Barton Joe Whitesitt by two votes in the certified results, 238 (Gorman) to 236 (Whitesitt).

In the August special election?

Incumbent Clerk-Treasurer Barton Joe Whitesitt reversed his two-vote loss, defeating Karla R. Easton Gorman by a vote of 123 (Whitesitt) to 83 (Gorman).

A race decided by two votes in May shifted to a 40-vote Whitesitt advantage in August.

Turnout also fell sharply.

The Town Council results shifted as well, though Guy Louks and David Mattix remained the two winners.

What caused the differences?

The numbers alone cannot tell us how much was attributable to the May ballot problem versus to dramatically different participation in a standalone August special election—but the contrast still warrants examination.

Bilbrey breaks down the timeline, the numbers, the election controversy, the allegations that circulated during the campaign, and why accusations of election-law violations still require actual evidence.

This is a heavy episode... but Bilbrey also covers local politics, constitutional liberty, elections, government funding—and a little bit of life behind the microphone.

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VIDEO version of Ep 722: https://youtube.com/live/1q3Mr_-XsKU

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The Political Spotlight Airs LIVE
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