The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne IN

While the 2011 mayor’s race will draw more interest, 2010 Allen County government races will involve more jockeying for position.

With two county commissioner seats on the ballot and two incumbent officeholders ineligible to seek re-election because of term limits, the Republican primary will likely hold much interest. Democrats, of course, have difficulties running even credible races for countywide office.

The Indiana General Assembly will likely consider eliminating or drastically changing a number of county offices in this year’s legislative session. If approved – and that’s questionable – some of those changes would require constitutional amendments that could not take effect for years, so county offices as they exist now will likely remain on the 2010 ballot.

Commissioner

Both first-term incumbent Bill Brown and four-term veteran Linda Bloom are up for re-election. The big question is whether Bloom, 67, will seek another term after saying in 2006 that year would be her final campaign. Both are vulnerable because the commissioners have been dysfunctional in a number of areas: inability to merge 911 emergency dispatch with the city, inability to get a new sheriff’s office ready, punting responsibility for bridges, allowing their Human Resources director to propose outlandish raises for them and a long delay on the Maplecrest Road project.

Bloom, in particular, is at risk. County Councilman Roy Buskirk is a likely opponent; he lost to Bloom in the 2006 primary by just 1,700 votes after waging a nearly non-existent campaign.

Many Republicans would like to see the county auditor, Lisa Blosser, seek the position. As the county’s top financial officer, Blosser is familiar with all county departments and has a reputation for integrity and an excellent record of hiring the right people to deal with complex issues. She lives in the right district to challenge Bloom.

Auditor, clerk

Blosser is prohibited from seeking a third term as county auditor, and County Clerk Therese Brown faces the same restriction. In 2002, then-clerk Blosser and auditor Brown both ran into the same term-limit law and essentially traded positions. They could try to do so again in 2010, but it doesn’t seem likely that either – both of whom are supporters of more progressive government – would go back to the position she previously held.

For her part, Therese Brown lives in the same district as Bill Brown and would be a viable candidate for a commissioner’s post.

Blosser’s chief deputy, Tera Klutz, is universally respected in county government for her financial acumen and is being encouraged to seek the auditor’s office in 2010.

Other posts

Look for Prosecutor Karen Richards, County Assessor Stacey O’Day and Sheriff Ken Fries to seek re-election. If Democrats focus on finding a competitive candidate for any county office, it will be for sheriff.