The municipal elections tomorrow pit Republican Mayor Sharon McShurley against her Democratic challenger, State Representative Dennis Tyler. However, it's the state of job growth in Muncie that will likely bring many of the voters to the polls.
"Jobs solve all of our problems," McShurley said. "And that's why we spend every day working towards developing new opportunities or working with people who are interested in investing in our community."
The recent arrival of locomotive maker Progress Rail and wind turbine maker Brevini have brought a few hundred jobs to the City. However, Tyler says that progress is too slow for a community that has lost 80 percent of its manufacturing jobs over the past 40 years.
"We've lost hundreds and hundreds of jobs, and it's evident we're not keeping up and we need to," Tyler said.
Both candidates said it is unlikely that the old manufacturing base will return. Their plans for Muncie's future depend upon attracting new employers and investors to the city.
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