Clay to announce bid for 2nd term as mayor - Gary Post Tribune

GARY -- Mayor Rudy Clay's office says he will announce plans for re-election at a news conference Thursday.

Clay has long said he wants another term in City Hall's executive suite, where he has presided over one of the most financially tumultuous periods in Gary's history.

To keep his job, Clay likely will need to best several challengers in this year's campaign. Local lawyer Karen Freeman-Wilson, City Council member Ragen Hatcher and businessman Jack Lieske are just a few of the people expected to run against him. The deadline to sign up is noon Feb. 18.

Clay has already served more than four years in the mayor's office. He was selected in a precinct caucus to finish the term of Mayor Scott King, who resigned in 2006. Clay won his first popular vote in 2007, besting Freeman-Wilson and a handful of others.

The next year, the Indiana General Assembly passed new property tax caps that severely limited Gary's revenue. The Clay administration has been steering the city through a financial crisis ever since by eliminating jobs, consolidating departments and forcing high-level staffers to take pay cuts.

But it isn't clear how many cost-cutting measures would have taken place without the tax-cap crisis. And Clay also takes heat for where he has decided to cut.

For example, the city laid off more than 30 firefighters last week. Meanwhile, Clay continues to accept an annual compensation totaling $135,250. That includes $81,175 he receives as mayor and another $54,075 he receives as special administrator of the Gary Sanitary District.

Clay is expected to announce his plans for re-election at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in City Hall's Gary Room.
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