Published: April 25, 2008 12:15 pm         

Pedzinski running against incumbent commissioner

Republican Robert Pedzinski, a candidate for Elkhart County Commissioner — District 3, is running in the upcoming primary election against Republican incumbent Terry Rodino.

“I don’t feel that our county government is listening to the taxpayers,” Pedzinski said of his decision to run for commissioner. “My campaign is all about being a guiding force, a protecting hand and a fresh voice for the people of Elkhart County.”

As for why he feels he is the most qualified candidate for the position, Pedzinski noted what he considers a strong background in management gleaned from his years working in business as well as with several not-for-profit organizations.

Pedzinski works as an operations manager for a local towing company.

“I’ve gained extensive background as far as the management area of business and also with not-for-profit organizations, such as the Baugo Township Volunteer Fire Department,” Pedzinski said. “I’m also the current president with the South Bend not-for-profit POW-MIA Remembrance Ride, so I’ve got background in trying to handle a not-for-profit as well.”

Pedzinski said he first became interested in becoming a candidate after hearing about the troubles a group of homeowners in the Jimtown area were having with the location of a VIM recycling plant near their homes.

Pedzinski said he does not feel the county government has done enough to assuage the concerns of the homeowners, who he says feel the proximity of the plant to their homes is reducing their quality of life.

“The primary deciding factor for me running was the VIM Recycling issue. And after I’d gotten involved with that I found out that there are a lot more issues out there as well that need looking at,” Pedzinski said.

Pedzinski said he has never been overly interested in politics or running for office, but noted that certain county issues such as the VIM recycling disagreement have forced his hand.

“I was brought up basically to believe that if you don’t like things, you need to try to step up and change them,” Pedzinski said. “I thought real hard about it, and my wife was the one who actually suggested me running.

“I want to give a voice back to the residents of Elkhart County,” he said.

As for other big issues he sees as important to the future of the county, Pedzinski cited his support of plans to construct a new Sheriff’s Administration Building and a new juvenile detention center.

“I know the Sheriff’s Department does need an adequate facility for administration as far as detectives and all that,” Pedzinski said. “They also have the issue of juvenile detention that needs to be handled. If the facility we have now is not capable of handling that anymore, then we’ll need to work on that as well.”

Pedzinski also said if elected he would push to see a decision made on the fate of the old county jail, which will be completely emptied once the new juvenile detention center is completed.

Suggestions for the old jail building in downtown Goshen have included everything from demolition to conversion into an office building or museum.

“As far as the old county jail building, we’d have to look at several different avenues as far as what to do with it,” Pedzinski said. “We have enough expenditures in the budget as it is without having a bunch of buildings sitting around empty and costing the county money.”

When asked if he would like to see anything done differently in the position, Pedzinski said if elected he would work to make the position of commissioner much more open and accessible to the public.

“A lot of people out here have no idea what goes on in our county government. I’m always getting asked ‘what it is exactly that commissioners do?’ because many have no idea,” Pedzinski said. “All the meetings are held during the day when people have to work, so people don’t really have much access. They can complain about things, but they don’t know what is being done about them.

“I’d like to change that,” he said.

A 1984 graduate of Elkhart Central High School, Pedzinski is a member of the Indiana Towing and Wrecker Association, the Pachyderm civic club, the Patriot Guard, and the Bristol American Legion Post 143.

He lives in Elkhart with his wife, Robin. They have six sons.