Spinner can’t imagine a better job
Mayor Denny Spinner wants to continue to be part of leading the City of Huntingburg.
“As this year came around, we did a lot of reflecting and thinking about where we want to be,” Spinner, 62, said. “There are still things I want to see completed and I still have the passion and desire to lead the city.”
He added that serving as mayor these past seven years has provided him the experience needed to continue to move the city forward.
On January 11, Spinner filed to run for a third term as mayor.
Since taking office in 2011, the city has undergone a transformation most notably through the Stellar designation. Contractors are currently preparing to renovate what many consider the heart of the city, Fourth Street.
“The momentum and excitement of the project
Through that Stellar process, Spinner says the city is in a better position with the state organizations involved in funding the Stellar projects.
“The relationships with these agencies is absolutely vital,” he said. “We’ve developed great relationships with these stakeholders as well as our community members and private businesses.”
Since he took office, the city has also seen a revitalization of the St. Joseph’s Hospital property with the addition of senior housing and a mental health care facility currently under construction as well as plans for more workforce development housing on the property.
Additional housing has also started to pop up at the new subdivision, Hunters Crossing, on the city’s north side that also includes a new park that is in the planning stages. And a former factory site is being turned into workforce development housing.
Besides guiding the city through the Stellar process, Spinner formed the Mayor’s Youth Council to create to build a bridge between local youth and the city as well as increase their involvement with the community. The council meets regularly with the mayor and took part in the naming of the new overpass, Progress Parkway.
“When I first ran, one of my keywords was pride,” Spinner said. “I think that pride and confidence allows our city to address challenges with solutions that are right for us.”
He stated the city has made a lot of strides in listening to its citizens and building stronger relationships to help formulate its plans. A process that will continue as the city finishes Stellar and moves into planning for the next several years.
Spinner grew up in Huntingburg and prior to being asked to run for mayor in 2011, he never had any political aspirations. “But now that I have been in this role, I think it suits me very well,” he explained adding he didn’t have any higher political goals. “The greatest job I can have as an elected official is being the mayor of Huntingburg.”
Spinner and Shari have three children — Anthony, Amy Pollock