Coffman highlights the necessity for stability in the Beech Grove mayoral campaign

Indianapolis, Indiana – One Indianapolis suburb’s mayoral candidate stated that he wants to make sure that ongoing projects are completed as intended.

The Democratic candidate for mayor of Beech Grove is Jim Coffman. Dennis Buckley, the current mayor and a Democrat, has decided against running for reelection. Only Coffman and Republican Rick Skirvin are standing for office in the general election on November 7.

Coffman stated that he is running for office in order to assist his community in an interview with All Indiana Politics. Currently, he serves as the city’s elected clerk and treasurer. He claimed he wanted to expand on the beneficial developments he has witnessed over the previous few years.

“There are a lot of projects and things down the pike that I want to see come to fruition,” he said.

Public safety is a priority for Coffman’s campaign, just like it is for his rival. He claimed that in order for the Beech Grove Police Department to be able to recruit and retain competent officers, the city must offer high-quality facilities and competitive wages. In reference to recent shootings at Beech Grove bars, including a double shooting at the start of August, Coffman said local business owners, police, and city officials must cooperate to stop such tragedies from happening in the future.

Coffman said Beech Grove leaders would consult with legal counsel and law enforcement to determine how to handle the new Indianapolis ordinance, which if the state preemption statute is repealed would outlaw permitless carry and the sale of military-style firearms. Beech Grove is exempt from the legislation even though Indianapolis is on all four sides of the city.

In the next years, homeownership rates in the community should increase, according to Coffman. He claimed that offering high-quality services to draw people to the city is the secret to stabilizing house ownership.

“By improving the quality of life, and just the small things like having the best (Department of Public Works) in the world, having great trash pickup, all of those services are going to encourage people to come to the city of Beech Grove,” he said.

According to Coffman, Amtrak and city officials regularly meet to discuss any issues pertaining to the railroad’s repair facilities. He stated that he wants the conversation to go on. He is especially interested in turning the approximately 70 acres of former CSX property into another industrial location, maybe for manufacturing or logistics. Although he noted that Beech Grove needs to make efforts to make the most of its tax base, Coffman said he does not think the city’s economy is unduly dependent on Amtrak.