A Ball State University graduate student running for a seat on the Delaware County Council hopes to bring in young blood and fresh perspectives.
Christopher Flook, 25, is running for the District 2 seat, which includes part of Yorktown where he grew up. He is a graduate student in the digital story telling program and received his undergraduate in telecommunications from Ball State in 2003.
Flook, a republican, is challenging 67-year-old Ronald Quakenbush-also a republican-who is seeking a third term on the council. This would be his final term, Quakenbush said.
Flook will focus on two prominent issues - the wheel tax that was voted down over the summer and the annexation of neighborhoods by Muncie and Yorktown.
"Right now Yorktown and Muncie are fighting to annex a large portion of neighborhoods," he said. "It's a difference of a small tax hike if annexed by Yorktown and a huge tax hike if annexed by Muncie."
The wheel tax that was voted against would have placed a tax averaging $25 per vehicle on all vehicles registered in Delaware County. Quakenbush voted against it. Flook said he thought the tax was important to fix the many road problems.
"It's a small amount of money that would have a huge benefit," he said.
This is his first venture into politics, but Flook said he thought his youth and energy would help him both in campaigning and on the council.
Quakenbush said it was important young people become involved in politics, He said he became involved when Ronald Reagan was president.
"Part of my goal has been to bring in young people," Quakenbush said. "That's part of how I learned. I wouldn't want to discourage him at all from doing it. It's an experience he will carry throughout his life."
Flook's campaign is being managed and run by several graduate students he works with at Ball State. Although he is a republican, many of the graduate students, including his campaign manager Nick Geidner, are democrats.
"I believe that smart people should be leading government, and people who are willing to listen to every side," said Geidner, who is also a digital story telling graduate student. "I think he can bring fresh ideas, and as a life-long Muncie resident, he knows what Delaware County needs."
Information on Flook and his campaign will soon be available on his Web site, chrisflook.com. He will produce pamphlets and will begin talking and meeting with community members. Although Flook thought the election could be difficult, he said it was important for him to run and represent the younger residents and the Ball State population.
"The guy I'm running against in the primaries, my understanding is he's pretty tough," Flook said. "A lot of people my age who are here in the county aren't doing anything in local politics. It's not that we're misrepresented, but just not representing ourselves."
Information about Christopher Flook
Name- Christopher Flook
Age- 25
Hometown- Yorktown
Running for- Delaware County Council, District 2
Party- Republican
Education- Undergraduate from Ball State in 2003 in telecommunications, currently a graduate student in digital story telling
Employment- Technology Coordinator at Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities
Issues- Neighborhood annexations, wheel tax
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