Eight days after being elected Muncie's first Democratic mayor in 20 years, Dennis Tyler appeared on WCRD's "Radio Sweetheart" Wednesday night to stress the importance of maintaining an open-door administration.
"If somebody cares enough to make a phone call to City Hall and they want to talk to the mayor, sometime that day or at least by the next day, the mayor should be talking to that person," Tyler said. "Something that's not important to me may be very important to a Ball State student, and I should take the time to listen."
Tyler was up front about the campaign, his plans for Muncie's future and his past experience in the hour-long interview with host David Boulton.
Revitalizing Muncie is one of his administration's major goals. Tyler said he hopes to put together programs that attract investors while keeping current employers in the area. He said a divide can be seen between campus and the community but that students can help correct that.
"Students bring a lot of money into our community, and they should be recognized and thanked for that," Tyler said. "I hope that Ball State students will continue to be engaged in the city of Muncie, and I would like to get them involved in my administration if they want to volunteer their time to be a part of it."
Tyler said his plans for the weeks prior to his Jan. 1 inauguration include doing everything he can to ensure a smooth transition from one mayoral administration to another. Tyler will resign his position in the Indiana General Assembly, where he's been serving since 2006, and said he will announce the members of his transition team today or Friday.
He said his team should have a website up in the next few days so Muncie citizens and Ball State students can submit ideas and suggestions and learn more about Tyler's plans. Bipartisan cooperation is essential in all areas and especially attainable in local government, the mayor-elect said.
"When people quit talking, that's usually when bad things happen in government," Tyler said. "At the end of the day, those people who are out of a job or those kids that are having a hard time walking to school because the sidewalk's a mess don't care if Dennis Tyler is a Republican or a Democrat."
Tyler said after a difficult campaign that kept him on his toes until Election Day, he is delighted with the victory and glad to have gratified his supporters.
"When I got on that stage and looked out over the crowd to see all the people of all races and religions and ages and areas of wealth, literally people with tears in their eyes or just bouncing up and down, that was overwhelming," Tyler said. "I understand how there could be some resentment [from the Republican side] but at the end of the day, there has to come a time when we put our political differences aside and do what's best for the community. I look forward to working with everybody."
Boulton, a senior magazine journalism major and Daily News staff writer, said he appreciated Tyler's promise of an open administration.
"It's always great to talk to Tyler; honestly, it's really surprising to me how accessible he is as a politician and how willing he is to talk to students," Boulton said.
For the music portions of the program, Boulton selected a handful of 1970s soul and R&B tracks, including a personal favorite of Tyler's, "You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good" by Herold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Boulton also pressed Tyler about his past experience, including the fact that he never attended college.
"I like to say I got my high school diploma from Muncie Central and my master's degree from working in the Muncie Fire Department and on the streets of Muncie as a public servant," Tyler said. "I've always prided myself in the common sense you need to work with people and have a good understanding of what their needs are. In politics there are no qualifications."
Tyler grew up in a housing project on the south side of Muncie and joined the fire department at age 22, where he served for more than four decades. He then worked as chairman for the Muncie Democratic Party before serving in the General Assembly in 2006.
The fact that Tyler has spent practically his entire life in Muncie and is intimately acquainted with the community makes the mayor-elect's lack of a college degree a non-factor, Boulton said.
"If he were trying to be mayor 10 years after he graduated from high school, it would be a big problem, but I think the fact that he has 42 years of experience in the Muncie community under his belt is more valuable than any college degree," Boulton said.
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