By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The number of people now running for the at-large seat on Kosciusko County Council through a GOP caucus grew to six on Wednesday after Chris Bammerlin, a 37-year-old Warsaw resident, filed paperwork to participate in the political appointment process Tuesday night.
The field could still grow larger since the deadline to file is more than two days away.
Bamberlinn has a varied business background that led him to start his own business last year.
He worked for two years at what was known as Midwest Rake before he earned an MBA in corporate finance.
He then spent 11 years at Zimmer Biomet, with jobs that included oversight of inventory controls.
“I always compare that to forensic accounting, so I just figured I’d be very well prepared to be able to audit all the financial ins and outs of everything and verify that everything looks good and is above board, Bammerlin said Wednesday night.
In the past year, two new goals took root — owning his own business and entering the local political landscape.
Bammerlin started his own property management company that involves single-family rentals and apartments, and said the new flexibility in his work time made it a “perfect time to get in the game.”
“This opening just kind of seemed like the right timing and kind of spoke to me as a great opportunity,” he said.
Other caucus candidates include Will Stockdale, Kyle Tom, Rob Parker, Travis Trump and Thaddeus Du Bois.
Bammerlin was asked about the expanding field of choices.
“From what I’ve seen so far, you couldn’t go wrong with any person,” he said.
The at-large seat has been in a state of flux since Delynn Geiger resigned effective immediately on Dec. 12 after taking office about one year ago.
An earlier GOP caucus led to the appointment of John Barrett, who then resigned days later after learning his job with the county’s public defender office would represent a conflict in his new role.
Deadline to file for the caucus is Saturday.
The county-wide vote among Republican precinct committee members will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse. Each of the candidates will have a chance to speak.
