Monroe County commissioner candidates press housing, jail and ‘culture change’ at DSA forum

David Henry, a candidate for Monroe County commissioner and an Indiana University instructor, and Trent Deckard, a member of the Monroe County Council and candidate for the same seat, pressed similar themes on housing and criminal‑justice policy at a candidate forum hosted by the Bloomington Democratic Socialists of America.

Henry framed the race around economic distress, saying one in four people in the area live in poverty and many households rely on SNAP. “We have thousands of people in our community on SNAP,” he said, arguing the county must prioritize housing, job diversity and a government that says “yes more than no.”

Deckard likewise said county government needs a “community of care.” He criticized what he described as a courthouse culture that defaults to “no,” and urged the commission to work with cities, towns and service providers to expand housing options, transit and supports for people trying to stay in place. “We have to get real about health and all policies,” Deckard said, adding that the county should consider creating a housing department and adopt rental‑inspection or minimum standards for units.

Both candidates faulted county planning and ordinances for impeding housing. Henry said the county’s comprehensive plan, passed in 2012, has been ignored and that the county development ordinance contains procedural hurdles that make development difficult. Deckard said the “devil is in the details” of the development code and that remedying it will require curiosity and capacity in county government.

The candidates also addressed a long‑running local debate over a new jail. Each said people currently in county custody deserve constitutional care and that officials must weigh facility size and cost against alternative investments. Deckard argued investments proposed for a large new facility should be balanced with funding for prevention, diversion and restorative justice programs; Henry said he will “listen to the public” as options are explored.

Both men said county resources and priorities — including whether to build a large justice center — affect other services such as libraries and affordable‑housing efforts. Henry warned that taking a quarter‑billion‑dollar approach to a new justice center would crowd out funding for other community priorities; Deckard argued for a coordinated, multi‑stakeholder approach to avoid one‑size‑fits‑all solutions.

The forum also included audience questions on indoor air quality in county buildings, work with labor unions, and recent evictions from county‑owned affordable units. Both candidates said they would partner with school districts and unions on transportation and food access and promised to increase county oversight of building maintenance; each criticized the county’s recent handling of people living on county property, and both called for stronger engagement with service providers before evictions occur.

The commission race segment concluded with closing remarks from both candidates; the moderator recessed the forum for five minutes before the night’s prosecuting‑attorney race.