Three seek auditor seat

What was an uncontested race during primary season will have the most crowded field among county-wide offices for the general election.
Three candidates — Republican Anna Culy, Democrat Susan Bunch and independent Missy Puterbaugh — will face off Nov. 4 in the race for Jay County Auditor. Early voting begins Tuesday at Jay County Courthouse.
Culy was uncontested in the Republican primary and is the daughter of current auditor Nancy Culy, who is finishing her second term in the office. She is a 2003 graduate of Jay County High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Taylor University and Ball State University respectively.
Bunch, who filed to run for her party after the primary, graduated from Delta High School and earned an associate’s degree from Ivy Tech while taking many of her classes through John Jay Center for Learning in Portland. She co-owns Bunch Properties, LLC, with her husband, Roy, and serves as manager of the business.
Puterbaugh, who also filed after primary season, is a 1986 JCHS graduate who worked at Berne Apparel for 15 years. She is a realtor for Loy Real Estate, co-owns Remember When primitives shop with her mother and serves as clerk for Portland City Court.
The three candidates, who are all making their first run for elected office, emphasized their passion for Jay County and desire to serve the community as reasons for seeking the auditor position.
“I really, really love Jay County,” said Culy. “I thought that I should try and serve my community, because I’ve grown up loving it here.”
“I really just wanted to try and take the knowledge I already had and try and continue making Jay County move forward …”
They also agreed that the three-person race creates a different dynamic than is involved in any of the other offices up for election this year.
The three-candidate field was a surprise, Culy said. But she welcomed the challenge though unsure how the dynamic might affect the overall outcome. Puterbaugh noted that she was initially concerned about splitting votes, but said that is no longer the case as voters have indicated to her that they do not necessarily vote along party lines.
Bunch said she believes having more choices is good for the voters.
“I’m just basically worried about my campaign and going out there and speaking to everybody that I can,” she said.
The candidates also emphasized the importance of the office.
The auditor, who leads an office of five, handles the county’s finances on a day-to-day basis. The position prepares the county budget, assigns taxes to properties and has a variety of other fiscal responsibilities.
“It’s the financial well-being of the county,” said Puterbaugh. “An auditor has to work well with the commissioners and the council, and I believe we have a very well-educated, well-rounded council and commissioners …
“They’re the ones that are making the decisions. (The auditor) is the one implementing it.”
Culy touted her experience as her greatest asset toward being able to be an effective auditor, and said continuity is especially important.
She has worked in the auditor’s office for 11 years, first on a part-time basis under Freda Corwin from 2003 to 2007 and then full-time beginning in 2008. She has been first deputy for seven years.
“It’s one of those jobs, like a lot of the offices, where you can’t just walk off the street and know it,” said Culy. “The person who wins needs to know what’s going on, Jan. 1, 2015, or entire year, budgetary wise, tax cycle wise, transfers, splits, everything, can be drastically hurt. There are things that come due, right at the first of the year. …
“There’s all these things that need to be done on a certain time schedule, and if you don’t know, it can be a problem. …
“We have to have somebody who knows what goes on in the office.”
Bunch indicated her dealings with auditor’s offices, both in Jay County and surrounding counties, through her business would help her if she is elected. She added that she’d make efficiency her focus, and that she’d like to implement a website that would be more helpful and informative to those who have dealings with the office.
“I have a deep knowledge of finances and have been involved in dealing with the public during my 25 years in business that fits well with the auditor’s role,” Bunch said. “The taxpayers of Jay County can count on me to be honest and friendly. And I will make it a priority to operate the auditor’s office in a fast, friendly and efficient manner.”
Puterbaugh didn’t expect to get involved in politics, but said she decided to run after being approached by several Jay County residents about the possibility. She emphasized her willingness to learn, trustworthiness and helpfulness as key qualities that would make her a good auditor.
“I decided it would be a good fit for me, and I think I would be a good fit for the county,” she said. “At this point, I’m ready to give back to the county. I was ready for a change, a big difference. And I think I can make a big difference in the courthouse.”
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Editor’s note: The Commercial Review is running its election-related stories this week ahead of early voting, which begins Tuesday at Jay County Courthouse. They will be available to subscribers through the Nov. 4 general election by clicking “election” at http://www.thecr.com.