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Veteran common council members, mayor DeBaun honored Monday at City Hall

Monday, December 18, 2023 at 5:05 AM

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The City of Shelbyville Common Council met Monday morning at City Hall for the final time in 2023, marking the end of an era for a trio of council members and Mayor Tom DeBaun.

“This is our last council meeting of the year as well as the last council meeting ever, most likely, for a few of us,” said DeBaun ahead of striking the gavel for the final time to close the meeting. “I did a little bit of math. In the 12 years I’ve been able to conduct these meetings, I’ve been a part of over 200 meetings of the Shelbyville Common Council.

“We’ve had very little controversy and I appreciate that very much, even when we did have some outspoken public comments, for example the YMCA or things of that nature, everyone held their composure and the council functioned very well and we did what we needed to do and we are a better community for it.”

DeBaun declined to run for a fourth term in office this year and is in the final month of his third term as mayor.

Monday morning’s meeting also signaled the final day of service on the council for first ward representative Joanne Bowen (photo, far left), a council member since 2016, and at-large representatives Rob Nolley (on council since 2004) (photo, second from right) and Brian Asher (on council since 2007) (photo, second from left).

All three plus fourth ward representative Scott Furgeson (photo, far right), who will return to the mayor’s office in 2024, received plaques for their commitment to the city. Furgeson returned to the council in 2020 to serve the fourth ward. He was a two-term councilman prior to serving as mayor for two terms before DeBaun was elected.

In addition, DeBaun (photo, center) received a plaque that included a key to the city.

“I don’t think the mayor gets enough recognition for the job he has done over the last 12 years,” said Furgeson to those in attendance. “Being a former mayor, I understand that it’s not easy in tough times and I want to say congratulations on retiring, semi or whatever you want to call it. You did a great job at (being mayor).”

The first council meeting of 2024 will see Furgeson conducting the meeting with four new council members – Kassy Wilson (first ward), Linda Sanders (fourth ward), Dennis Harrold (at-large) and Chuck Reed (at-large). They will join returning council members Betsy Means-Davis (second ward), Michael Johnson (third ward) and Thurman Adams (fifth ward).

The final piece of business conducted by the 2023 common council Monday morning was to approve a nearly $16 million tax abatement for PK USA, 600 Northridge Drive in Shelbyville.

The standard 10-year tax abatement is for new manufacturing equipment, new logistical distribution equipment and new information technology equipment.

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