Chele Heid (Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3, Indiana, candidate 2024)

Chele Heid

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Democratic Party

Candidate, Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

Cincinnati, Ohio

Religion

Christian: Lutheran

Profession

Physical Therapist

Contact

Campaign website

Chele Heid (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3 in Indiana. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Heid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chele Heid provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 23, 2024:

• Birth date: May 7, 1974
• Birth place: Cincinnati, Ohio
• High school: Princeton High School, Cincinnati, OH
• Bachelor's: Indiana Universtiy, 1996
• PhD: The College of St. Scholastica, 2020
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Christian: Lutheran
• Profession: Physical Therapist
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website

Elections

General election

General election for Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3

Chele Heid and Ronald H. West ran in the general election for Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Chele Heid (D)
	Submit photo	Ronald H. West (R)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3

Steve Powell and Ronald H. West ran in the Republican primary for Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3 on May 7, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Steve Powell
	Submit photo	Ronald H. West

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Heid in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chele Heid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Heid's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the Democratic candidate for Johnson County Commissioner District 3 and I take my service to the community seriously. Currently I serve on the Johnson County Board of Health and the Johnson County Public Library Foundation. As a Johnson County resident for over 20 years, I put service to the community over partisan politics and believe we all thrive when both parties collaborate.

I have been a physical therapist for twenty-eight years and served as a firefighter and EMT in Louisiana in the early 2000s. I am co-owner and operator of Equality Engraving--a woman owned small business located in Johnson County District 3.

Running for office was never part of my life plan, but while serving on the Johnson County Board of Health I became aware of decisions that the current commissioners were making which ran counter to serving the community--namely, opting out of $1.3 million of taxpayer funds being returned to the county from the State Health Department as well as refusing to pass a minimum standard housing ordinance thus shielding landlords and leaving tenants with no rights or recourse. I knew we needed better representation. In the absence of another candidate I decided it was my turn to step up and offer another option to Johnson County District 3 voters.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As a healthcare professional, the health of Johnson county residents will always be a top priority for me. In 2023, the current commissioners refused to accept $1.3 million dollars in Health First Indiana funds--taxpayer money from the State Health Department. These vital funds would have gone a long way in making improvements to the programs and services that the county Department of Health provides to our community including our paramedicine program which, for me as a former firefighter and EMT, is very close to my heart. Of the 92 counties in Indiana only five did not accept these funds. Johnson County deserves a representative who will work with state and county health department officials to best serve the community.
• Second, I believe our residents who are tenants deserve rights and protections. In June 2024, a minimum standard housing code failed to pass at the county level. This code would have set minimum standards to protect renters and would require landlords to make needed repairs for their tenants. Johnson County residents deserve a commissioner who will work for the good of the whole community and will not deny renters the expectation of basic human decency.
• Third, our county is growing quickly and needs a commissioner focused on how best to guide this burgeoning expansion in ways that enhance the residents’ experience. Smart, well planned growth is paramount to having a community which works for everyone. My opponent has stated he is focused on "finishing up." Johnson County needs a commissioner who is fully present and focused not only on completing current projects but who is looking forward and proactively identifying the needs of a continually developing community. I welcome the opportunity to move the county forward.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about policy which enhances health and quality of life.

Last year our commissioners opted out of $1.3 million of OUR tax money which the State Department of Health was returning to us. Imagine what benefit those dollars could have had on our quality of life in the form of paramedicine, education, and prevention to name just a few things.

Quality of life is intimately related to health. Infrastructure like sidewalks/urban trails which connect neighborhoods to city amenities are sorely lacking in Johnson County. Instead of making this a priority, my opponent voted to spend over $600K on pickleball courts. I would have voted to use those funds in a way which would have benefitted a greater number of residents.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and integrity, a collaborative spirit, a heart for service, and the willingness to do hard work.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Since the commissioner represents ALL of the residents of the county, it is imperative that she ask residents what they need and then listen to their responses. I truly believe that in order to accomplish anything of substance we must first partner with members of our community.

I believe it is the responsibility of the commissioners to do the greatest good for the greatest number of residents and to listen to the experts on each issue prior to making any decisions.

I believe it is the responsibility of the commissioners to improve the quality of life of residents whether that be to accept Health First Indiana Funds EVERY TIME they are offered or to pass a minimum standard of decency housing ordinance or work collaboratively to mitigate drainage problems certain older neighborhoods are suffering due to new construction projects.

When we think about our increasing population we need to think in terms of that “population” being people--young adults getting started, families with children, and older adults who have retired. As a physical therapist for twenty eight years, I know for a fact that each of these groups benefit from sidewalks and walking/biking paths. Further, our community as a whole benefits from an active, healthy population who enjoy recreation opportunities which add to a high quality of life.

Finally, we need to not only repair the streets we have but create a robust strategy to build new road systems that can accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles we have on the roads.

Our county is growing quickly and needs a commissioner focused on how best to guide this burgeoning expansion in ways that enhance the residents’ experience. Smart, well planned growth is paramount to having a community which works for everyone.

Johnson County needs a commissioner who is looking forward and proactively identifying the needs of a continually developing community. I welcome the opportunity to move the county forward.

What legacy would you like to leave?

One of honor, integrity, and helpfulness.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 1986 I was in 6th grade and was watching a small tube TV strapped to a rolling cart from the AV department at my elementary school. Several dozen of my classmates and I were sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor with eight teachers. We watched with rapt attention as NASA sent the first teacher, Christa MacAuliffe, into space.

No sooner did we witness the awe inspiring liftoff than we watched in confusion as a cloud of smoke and fire filled the screen. I will remember that day not only for the tragedy that it was for the crew and their family, friends, and the launch team but also for the loving care shown to us by our teachers.

These teachers were so excited that one of their own was venturing into space. And then they were rocked by the explosion of the shuttle. Despite their disbelief and devastation they were able to shepherd us through the experience.

Many of my contemporaries have spoken about how they, too, watched the launch in school but were then hustled back to class as the TV was turned off and rolled out of the classroom. I remember the teachers being upset but not hiding. I remember them leading us in talking about what happened and what we were feeling and showing their own humanity and grief right alongside our own.

That has stuck with me--the importance of listening to what others experienced and how they are feeling. Whether it is a shared experience or if I am learning about it secondhand, I value that sort of communication. If elected I pledge to listen to the concerns of my community as though they are my own.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

It is clear that the commissioners are responsible for receiving bids and authorizing contracts however their decision making process is much less transparent than is their opening of sealed bids. The bids are opened during the public meetings but then they are reviewed privately after the meeting and generally at the next public meeting they announce to whom the contracts have been awarded. I believe the entire process must be transparent so residents know why certain decisions have been made. I have attended many of these public meetings and the contract is not always awarded to the lowest bid yet the commissioners do not detail why they have chosen to award the contracts as they have.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe that it is necessary for commissioners to have held a previous office. If the candidate is willing and capable of devoting the time and effort to learning the job, understanding the role, and listening to input from both experts and the citizens they represent then they are qualified to serve the public in this way. That is one of the many positives of our democracy--previous experience or political science degree or expertise in certain areas of law are not required. Every citizen who meets the standards set forth by the state/county is welcome to offer themselves in service to our communities.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Paramount to representing constituents of any office is the desire to listen to the stakeholders which can be many and varied but must always include the residents.

Critical thinking, the ability to research, and a spirit of collaboration are also necessary to best serve the community.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Mad Voters

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe there should be 100% transparency not only as related to finances but in all areas in which the government serves the citizens.

I believe as representatives of the residents of our county/district/state, elected officials should be held accountable for their promises as well as their decisions. To this end they must make meetings accessible to their constituents, they must be willing to engage in conversations with constituents, and they MUST respond to email/phone calls/letters from constituents. As I have gone door-to-door to meet voters, I have heard repeatedly from residents that they are frustrated by the lack of response from current officials.

Elected officials are not better than residents and do not deserve preferential treatment. They are representatives and therefore need input from the people they represent in order to discharge their duties properly.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Johnson County Commissioner Board District 3

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