Cameron Collier for City Council

In Today's Newspaper:

People’s Voice – October 2019

As we approach the upcoming municipal election, I have spent some time reflecting on my 2 terms as a city councilman. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am thankful to the citizens of Decatur for giving me the opportunity to serve our great City.

When I first announced my intentions to run for office 8 years ago, I presented a vision for Decatur that encapsulated my desires for our community. That vision included a revitalized and refreshed community. It included an active and attractive downtown, one that draws people and investment from outside of our community. It focused on vibrancy and enhancing quality of life. It included a community with a clear and compelling message. A community that recognizes our weaknesses, but focuses our energy on our strengths. A community that knows how we fit into the region and proudly presents that message. The vision also included a community actively promoting the personal and professional development of its workforce.

I believe we have seen many successes in each of these areas over the past 8 years. Think of how incredibly far we’ve come in such a short timeframe. Through the coordinated and tireless efforts of city leaders, city employees and numerous volunteers throughout the community alike as well as the generosity of our citizens, Decatur is becoming even greater. A new and modern police station, a renovated historical Depot, a new and modern City Hall, numerous failing buildings removed, new parks, new parking, continuous infrastructure improvements, a new nature preserve, refreshed streetscapes, a fantastic and active plaza, arts and activity - and on and on and on. And hopefully, through the development of the former Northwest Elementary School into a career center, we can better support our existing businesses and their employees.

Think about private investments in our community over the past 8 years: business expansions, new businesses in the downtown, existing businesses and property owners investing in their downtown buildings, and even downtown loft living. I am proud of our efforts and our successes. I am proud of our community. We have much to be thankful for.

Many may question, “Why such an emphasis on improving quality of life?” I believe the answer is simple: workforce attraction. Attracting and retaining talent is a crucial part of economic development. As NE Indiana is learning, when competing for new businesses, the number one issue we face is the availability and skill of the workforce. Economic incentives are not the top priority. If we want to be competitive, we need to attract and retain our talent. We need to be a community that offers a strong quality of life.

So, as I step aside from public service (in any official capacity at least), I want to encourage our community leaders to continue the push for quality of life initiatives. We need to stick to the Strategic Investment Plan our community adopted as part of the Stellar Community initiative. We need to finish the projects we have started. We need to continue to re-invest in ourselves.

In closing, let me simply say that if you like the progress you’ve seen in our community, if you agree with the need to continue to invest in ourselves, then stay the course. As you head to the ballot box, vote for the incumbents. Vote Ken Meyer for Mayor of Decatur. Ken has proven himself committed to Decatur’s future while honoring Decatur’s past.

Cameron D. Collier

Subject: Press Release / Letter to the Editor / Letter to the Public

Serving the City of Decatur as an elected official, first as the At Large member and now as the 4th District representative, over the past 7 years has proven to be both an incredibly rewarding and transforming experience. I am humbled to have been a part of the many successes our community has seen over the past 7 years. I am thankful to the city leaders, the city workers, and most importantly the citizens of Decatur for the opportunity to serve Decatur and help shape our community for generations to come.

When I first announced my intentions to run for office 8 years ago, I presented a vision for Decatur that encapsulated my desires for our community. The vision included:

A) A revitalized, refreshed, refurbished, stable and attractive environment for personal and professional growth and business development.
B) An environment that is appealing to business development. One that encourages entrepreneurialism and expansion.
C) An active and attractive downtown. A downtown that draws people from outside of our community.
D) A community actively promoting the personal and professional development of its workforce.
E) A vibrant culture. A community with a clear and compelling message. A community that recognizes our weakness, but focuses our energy on our strengths. A community that knows how we fit into the region and proudly presents that message.

I believe we have seen many successes in each of these areas over the past 7 years. While some initiatives have gained more attention and enjoyed greater successes, we have come a long way in relatively short period of time. I am proud of our community. I am proud of our efforts and our successes.

I am forever thankful for the kindness and generosity poured out to my family in our time away from Decatur during my recent deployment with the US Navy. The developments within our city during my year away were profound. I returned to numerous completed projects and initiatives that we had worked towards for several years. I am both excited and proud to see and be a part of the continued progress and development.

My year away taught me many important lessons that will take months if not years to fully unpack and understand. Perhaps one of the most important is the need to build into your family and cherish the limited time we are given while you can. With that said, at the end of my current term, I will step aside from serving the City of Decatur in an official capacity. I will not be seeking re-election. I will certainly continue to play a role as a community volunteer, but my primary efforts must be directed to home and to the business I now am responsible for.

In sharing this, I also want to pledge my support and offer endorsement to Scott Murray who will be seeking to represent the 4th District of Decatur. Scott selflessly stepped in to fill my seat during my absence. Having served for that year, he is well versed in his understanding of our current initiatives, ongoing challenges, and future aspirations. His understanding of regional efforts and connections to regional resources will prove invaluable. Scott brings a careful, thoughtful and critical approach to serving his community. He is more than capable and will represent Decatur citizens well with a fresh perspective and renewed resolve.

I look forward to working hard in the coming months to ensure continued successes of current initiatives and will continue to promote strategic visioning and planning. Thank you for the fantastic opportunities over the past 7 years.

Sincerely,
Cameron D. Collier

Jim Banks is the most substantive and capable conservative candidate running for Indiana's 3rd US Congressional seat.

Jim Banks' Latest TV Ad Strikes Positive Tone Highlights “Courageous Conservative” Record (FORT WAYNE, IN) – State Senator Jim Banks, conservative Republican candidate for Indiana’s Third Congressional District, today launched his latest television advertisement with a spot entitled, “Only One”. The thirty-second spot highlights Jim’s conservat…

Grace College holds forum for Third District Congressional candidates WINONA LAKE, Ind. (21Alive) --- The May primary is still five weeks away, but those running for the 3rd Congressional District are hitting the ground running to get their messages out to voters.

Pat Miller – Ken Cuccinelli Interview 03/15/16 - WOWO 1190 AM | 107.5 FM Ken Cuccinelli comes back on the program with Pat. He is with the Senate Conservatives Fund, and talks about how important it is to make sure the House and Senate are filled with as many conservatives as possible. You can find their site at:  senateconservatives.com