WEBVTT 00:00:01.735 --> 00:00:01.935 Indiana 00:00:02.001 --> 00:00:04.704 University. 00:00:04.771 --> 00:00:06.072 >> Hello and welcome to Inside 00:00:06.139 --> 00:00:16.449 INdiana Business, 00:00:16.516 --> 00:00:18.051 I'm Gerry Dick. This months 00:00:18.118 --> 00:00:18.952 municipal elections brought a 00:00:19.018 --> 00:00:20.387 mix of new and old leadership 00:00:20.453 --> 00:00:21.254 to mayoral offices around 00:00:21.321 --> 00:00:22.655 Indiana. And with it a variety 00:00:22.722 --> 00:00:24.023 of visions. Here in the state 00:00:24.090 --> 00:00:24.958 capital, Democrat Joe Hogsett 00:00:25.024 --> 00:00:26.326 cruised to 1/3 term in office, 00:00:26.393 --> 00:00:27.227 while in suburban indie, 00:00:27.293 --> 00:00:28.161 caramel elected Republican Sue 00:00:28.228 --> 00:00:29.062 Finkam to succeed retiring 00:00:29.129 --> 00:00:31.598 seven term mayor Jim Brainard. 00:00:31.664 --> 00:00:32.766 And former newsman John Stehr 00:00:32.832 --> 00:00:38.071 a Republican, is the new mayor 00:00:38.138 --> 00:00:39.172 of Zionsville. A familiar face 00:00:39.239 --> 00:00:40.607 back in office in Fort Wayne, 00:00:40.673 --> 00:00:48.982 Democrat Tom Henry one 1/5 00:00:49.048 --> 00:00:50.383 term in a close race and 00:00:50.450 --> 00:00:51.084 southeast Indiana, new 00:00:51.151 --> 00:00:51.985 leadership in Evansville is 00:00:52.051 --> 00:00:52.719 Democrat Stephanie Terry 00:00:52.786 --> 00:00:53.853 becomes the first woman and 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:54.988 first African-American to lead 00:00:55.054 --> 00:00:55.922 that city. In Northwest 00:00:55.989 --> 00:01:01.094 Indiana, democratic state 00:01:01.161 --> 00:01:03.430 Senator Eddie Melton new mayor 00:01:03.496 --> 00:01:08.168 in Gerry, unseat incumbent 00:01:08.234 --> 00:01:09.302 damn Jerome Prince, and nearby 00:01:09.369 --> 00:01:10.036 involve appraisal familiar 00:01:10.103 --> 00:01:10.937 face former Republican Mayor 00:01:11.004 --> 00:01:12.405 Jon Costas back in office and 00:01:12.472 --> 00:01:15.041 Terre Haute, history is made. 00:01:15.108 --> 00:01:15.742 $$TRANSMIT's Big Mac it's time 00:01:15.809 --> 00:01:16.309 for change in Terre Haute! 00:01:16.376 --> 00:01:19.646 >> 27-year-old Brandon Sakbun, 00:01:19.712 --> 00:01:23.416 Terre Haute native and a son 00:01:23.483 --> 00:01:24.350 of immigrants and Army 00:01:24.417 --> 00:01:25.251 veteran, the youngest mayor 00:01:25.318 --> 00:01:26.419 ever come to defeating four 00:01:26.486 --> 00:01:27.353 term Republican incumbent Duke 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:31.558 Bennett. And Mayor elect 00:01:31.624 --> 00:01:32.725 Brandon Sakbun joins me now 00:01:32.792 --> 00:01:33.893 from Terre Haute with more, 00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:35.195 and Mayor elect Sakbun, Inc. 00:01:35.261 --> 00:01:36.629 For joining us. I know it's 00:01:36.696 --> 00:01:40.333 been a whirlwind for you. My 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:41.501 first question you are 27 00:01:41.568 --> 00:01:42.902 years old what in the world 00:01:42.969 --> 00:01:44.270 made you decide to run for 00:01:44.337 --> 00:01:49.976 mayor? 00:01:50.043 --> 00:01:51.344 >> That's a good question and 00:01:51.411 --> 00:01:52.912 you know I get it time and 00:01:52.979 --> 00:01:54.280 time again. Truth be told my 00:01:54.347 --> 00:01:56.783 parents, as you mentioned 00:01:56.850 --> 00:01:57.917 earlier in the show are 00:01:57.984 --> 00:01:58.651 immigrants, they've instilled 00:01:58.718 --> 00:02:00.019 in me the concept of public 00:02:00.086 --> 00:02:01.354 service and giving back to a 00:02:01.421 --> 00:02:02.755 country that has allowed us oh 00:02:02.822 --> 00:02:03.923 so much opportunity here in 00:02:03.990 --> 00:02:07.227 America. So I'm chasing my 00:02:07.293 --> 00:02:08.394 small chapter in the book 00:02:08.461 --> 00:02:09.562 called the American dream and 00:02:09.629 --> 00:02:10.964 American history and I want to 00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:12.131 serve this community. In third 00:02:12.198 --> 00:02:13.066 grade I remember grandparents 00:02:13.132 --> 00:02:14.434 day, really tough for a young 00:02:14.501 --> 00:02:15.368 kid whose grandparents were 00:02:15.435 --> 00:02:22.442 nowhere near Terre Haute 00:02:22.509 --> 00:02:23.376 Indiana, so many community 00:02:23.443 --> 00:02:24.544 members came out to support 00:02:24.611 --> 00:02:25.912 me, so this is a community 00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:27.280 that raised me in my formative 00:02:27.347 --> 00:02:28.348 years and this is a community 00:02:28.414 --> 00:02:28.948 I am going to fight for in my 00:02:29.015 --> 00:02:29.549 young years and my old years. 00:02:29.616 --> 00:02:30.183 >> You received a lot of 00:02:30.250 --> 00:02:37.290 national attention in part 00:02:37.357 --> 00:02:38.458 because of your age and 00:02:38.525 --> 00:02:39.859 personal story as well. A lot 00:02:39.926 --> 00:02:40.994 of national attention. You got 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:42.362 a call the day after the 00:02:42.428 --> 00:02:43.229 election I understand from 00:02:43.296 --> 00:02:44.130 Vice President Kamala Harris 00:02:44.197 --> 00:02:45.565 and as I understand on the 00:02:45.632 --> 00:02:46.699 call among the things you 00:02:46.766 --> 00:02:47.867 talked about was the future 00:02:47.934 --> 00:02:49.002 for small cities in the 00:02:49.068 --> 00:02:50.169 Midwest like Terre Haute. What 00:02:50.236 --> 00:02:51.604 is that? What is the future in 00:02:51.671 --> 00:02:52.205 your view? What's the future, 00:02:52.272 --> 00:02:52.805 what does the future of Terre 00:02:52.872 --> 00:02:53.206 Haute look like? 00:02:53.273 --> 00:02:55.375 >> I'm a firm believer that 00:02:55.441 --> 00:02:56.509 Terre Haute is unique, it's 00:02:56.576 --> 00:02:58.945 future is riverfront develop 00:02:59.012 --> 00:03:06.653 it, and factoring, 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:07.554 diversifying the job market 00:03:07.620 --> 00:03:08.721 and leveraging not one, not 00:03:08.788 --> 00:03:09.889 two, not three but four 00:03:09.956 --> 00:03:10.590 universities here. From 00:03:10.657 --> 00:03:11.724 Indiana State, Rose home, St. 00:03:11.791 --> 00:03:12.892 Mary's, we've got all the 00:03:12.959 --> 00:03:13.993 tools to just launch on 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:14.894 exponential growth here in 00:03:14.961 --> 00:03:20.867 Terre Haute Indiana. And to me 00:03:20.934 --> 00:03:22.635 the fear is as we look at a 00:03:22.702 --> 00:03:24.170 lot of these urban areas a lot 00:03:24.237 --> 00:03:25.305 of the state capitals, is 00:03:25.371 --> 00:03:26.005 really getting young 00:03:26.072 --> 00:03:26.906 professionals back to towns 00:03:26.973 --> 00:03:28.308 like Terre Haute as well as 00:03:28.374 --> 00:03:29.242 practicing ageism and getting 00:03:29.309 --> 00:03:30.443 folks were coming back home 00:03:30.510 --> 00:03:32.445 after living a long and 00:03:32.512 --> 00:03:33.413 successful career. So blending 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:35.848 those two traits together in a 00:03:35.915 --> 00:03:36.983 great town like Terre Haute, 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:38.084 that's what the future looks 00:03:38.151 --> 00:03:38.284 like. 00:03:38.351 --> 00:03:39.018 >> You mentioned advanced 00:03:39.085 --> 00:03:40.186 manufacturing, their hope 00:03:40.253 --> 00:03:41.554 getting a commitment from it 00:03:41.621 --> 00:03:49.195 Fintech for $110 million 00:03:49.262 --> 00:03:49.896 battery components operation, 00:03:49.963 --> 00:03:51.731 600 or so jobs, as you look at 00:03:51.798 --> 00:03:52.632 economic develop it, how 00:03:52.699 --> 00:03:53.766 aggressive do you think-- you 00:03:53.833 --> 00:03:55.168 think Terre Haute needs to be 00:03:55.234 --> 00:03:56.202 more aggressive in that area? 00:03:56.269 --> 00:03:57.971 >> I do think they need to be 00:03:58.037 --> 00:04:05.545 more aggressive, it comes to 00:04:05.612 --> 00:04:06.479 economic development is really 00:04:06.546 --> 00:04:07.880 so much more than just the 00:04:07.947 --> 00:04:09.048 jobs piece, the total number 00:04:09.115 --> 00:04:10.416 of jobs, the median income of 00:04:10.483 --> 00:04:11.784 the jobs coming in, you have 00:04:11.851 --> 00:04:13.152 to look at housing, you have 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:14.320 to look your education, you 00:04:14.387 --> 00:04:15.488 have to look at neighborhood 00:04:15.555 --> 00:04:16.155 develop income residential 00:04:16.222 --> 00:04:17.790 homes this is much as you look 00:04:17.857 --> 00:04:18.725 at commercial develop mental 00:04:18.791 --> 00:04:19.659 packaging that altogether so 00:04:19.726 --> 00:04:21.361 you really get aggressive. We 00:04:21.427 --> 00:04:22.762 want to sell the community of 00:04:22.829 --> 00:04:23.997 Terre Haute, what I call 00:04:24.063 --> 00:04:30.937 Tara-- dice. But those are the 00:04:31.004 --> 00:04:35.375 conversations you need to have 00:04:35.441 --> 00:04:36.309 selling this commuting not 00:04:36.376 --> 00:04:37.677 just from a jobs aspect, from 00:04:37.744 --> 00:04:38.611 a housing aspect educational 00:04:38.678 --> 00:04:39.746 aspects, quality of life 00:04:39.812 --> 00:04:40.680 aspect and employment aspect 00:04:40.747 --> 00:04:49.789 as well. 00:04:49.856 --> 00:04:51.157 >> Very limited time here, two 00:04:51.224 --> 00:04:52.592 questions I want to get in. 00:04:52.659 --> 00:04:53.493 One, downtown develop and, 00:04:53.559 --> 00:04:54.160 there's been activity 00:04:54.227 --> 00:04:55.294 certainly over the number of 00:04:55.361 --> 00:04:56.195 years downtown and Terre 00:04:56.262 --> 00:04:57.797 Haute, I know a lot of focus 00:04:57.864 --> 00:04:58.898 on that, will that be a focus 00:04:58.965 --> 00:04:59.499 area continuing that downtown 00:04:59.565 --> 00:04:59.832 redevelop in? 00:04:59.899 --> 00:05:00.500 >> Absolutely, you want to 00:05:00.566 --> 00:05:01.034 leverage not just the 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:04.203 Convention Center, full-time 00:05:04.270 --> 00:05:05.104 employment office space as 00:05:05.171 --> 00:05:06.005 well, apartment style housing 00:05:06.072 --> 00:05:12.178 as well as eczema is the 00:05:12.245 --> 00:05:12.845 relationship with Indiana 00:05:12.912 --> 00:05:14.247 state which is right by the 00:05:14.313 --> 00:05:15.348 heart of downtown, so we've 00:05:15.415 --> 00:05:15.948 got to synchronize all three 00:05:16.015 --> 00:05:16.516 of those points and really 00:05:16.582 --> 00:05:17.116 push downtown development in 00:05:17.183 --> 00:05:17.583 the next four years. 00:05:17.650 --> 00:05:19.452 >> Very quickly, riverfront of 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:20.386 elements, you mentioned it 00:05:20.453 --> 00:05:22.021 earlier, do you see that as an 00:05:22.088 --> 00:05:22.622 opportunity? It's been talked 00:05:22.689 --> 00:05:23.056 about for a while. 00:05:23.122 --> 00:05:28.394 >> We are in the very nascent 00:05:28.461 --> 00:05:29.295 stages of the planning 00:05:29.362 --> 00:05:30.430 process, next year we are 00:05:30.496 --> 00:05:31.597 going to do a full 00:05:31.664 --> 00:05:32.498 comprehensive master plan and 00:05:32.565 --> 00:05:34.067 map out what do we want the 00:05:34.133 --> 00:05:35.435 Terre Haute relation to the 00:05:35.501 --> 00:05:36.803 Wabash River to look like over 00:05:36.869 --> 00:05:39.172 the next 10 to 15 years. We 00:05:39.238 --> 00:05:40.273 are going to lay the 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:41.441 groundwork not just for my 00:05:41.507 --> 00:05:42.141 administration but multiple 00:05:42.208 --> 00:05:44.143 mayors down the road, 15 to 20 00:05:44.210 --> 00:05:45.278 years of positive element, to 00:05:45.344 --> 00:05:51.718 me that's mixed-use, mixed 00:05:51.784 --> 00:05:53.119 income, grab a cup of coffee, 00:05:53.186 --> 00:05:54.287 potentially a beer, can you 00:05:54.353 --> 00:05:55.421 get a house or apartment 00:05:55.488 --> 00:05:56.589 there, is there something to 00:05:56.656 --> 00:05:58.191 do for kids of all ages? For 00:05:58.257 --> 00:06:01.527 seniors? Are we nature-- 00:06:01.594 --> 00:06:03.896 leveraging nature? That's what 00:06:03.963 --> 00:06:04.964 I want to think of.