I’m Ranjan Rohatgi, and I’m running for the St. Joseph County Council, District B. My wife and I moved to St. Joseph County 10 years ago, knowing no one. But over the past decade, we’ve made wonderful friends, flourished in our careers and had two amazing daughters. St. Joseph County is home, and there is nowhere else we’d rather live our lives and raise our family.
Before moving to St. Joe County, I was never politically involved. But in 2021, I was honored to use my skills as a mathematician and statistician on the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission. Our team of three Democrats, three Republicans and three Independents gathered the opinions of our fellow Hoosiers and proposed redistricting plans that would ensure every voice was heard. We worked well together, and I learned how beneficial true multi-partisan teamwork can be for our neighbors.
I believe this is how the county council should work: leaders working to help solve our local problems.
I love this community — where my wife and I chose to raise our family — and that’s why I’m running for county council. I’ve seen how local government can improve lives and how it’s currently failing in that mission in some key ways.
First, we need to get national political polarization out of local government and prioritize working together. I am sure I will disagree with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues on the county council from time to time. But I will work with them and county employees to better the lives of our neighbors. We need a county government that can dialogue across differences if we have any hope of making progress.
Second, we need to prioritize public health and safety. A thriving community is a healthy and safe one, and this can only be achieved through support of our Department of Health, not by cutting services or blocking progress. We need to support initiatives that help our most vulnerable, from the behavioral crisis center to low-barrier housing to the Crisis Service Unit in the county police department.
Third, we need to support residents’ quality of life by investing in our amazing county parks and libraries. My daughters love playing at our local libraries and parks, and their playground discussions do not center around Democrats and Republicans.
Fourth, the county must maintain and improve our infrastructure, from ensuring effective snow-plowing to repealing burdensome solar energy regulations at a time when energy costs are rising.
Finally, the council must establish consistent standards for evaluating proposed hyperscale data center projects. At a minimum, companies must commit to the following: 1) no NDAs, 2) no tax breaks, 3) using local union labor, 4) fully covering infrastructure costs, 5) independent environmental monitoring with penalties for damage, and 6) using only closed-loop systems for cooling.
Companies must also address residents’ questions in public meetings, evaluate potential impact on traffic congestion, energy bills, water wells, property values, noise and light pollution, and create a sustainability plan. If a company satisfies these requirements, I’m willing to listen to their proposal. But at the end of the day, I will vote for what residents want.
This campaign is sustained by coffee, late nights and my wife picking up far more than her fair share of childcare duties. It has been fueled by amazing volunteers writing postcards, knocking on doors, putting up yard signs and hosting small meet-and-greet events. More than 250 donors have made nearly 400 donations, more than half of which are $50 or less. This campaign is truly grassroots.
My wife and I live in District B, and we work in District B. Our daughter went to daycare in District B. We take our kids to the Francis Branch of the library and the Roseland and Clay Township playgrounds in District B. I once ran more than 100 miles on the trails at St. Patrick’s County Park in District B. St. Joseph County is my home, and I am asking you for the chance to make it the wonderful place we know it can be.
Ranjan Rohatgi is a Democratic candidate for the St. Joseph County Council, District B.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: What’s behind my grassroots campaign for county council | Opinion
Reporting by Ranjan Rohatgi, Guest columnist / South Bend Tribune
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