3 candidates looking to become the next South Bend City Clerk

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The race to fill the City Clerk seat is on, and there are 3 candidates hoping to fill the spot.

2 candidates have already worked in a clerk’s office, while another hopes to add a new face to the mix.

Dawn Jones has served as City Clerk since 2019 and led the office as it moved to remote meetings during the pandemic.

Jones has 2 degrees from IUSB and is also a professional writer.

She wants to build staff infrastructure and improve the office’s social media presence to increase community engagement.

While Democrat Jason Banicki has no work experience in a clerk’s office, he did run for common council a few years back.

He also has a bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington and a background in sales management.

Banicki says upgrades to the office’s hardware and software could make transcriptions easier and free staff for additional work.

Bianca Tirado has served as Deputy and Chief Deputy City Clerk, Director of Policy and Chief of Staff over the past 5 years.

Tirado has an Executive Masters of Nonprofit Administration from Notre Dame, and she’s backed by current South Bend Mayor James Mueller.

Her top priorities will be transparency and accessibility; making sure the public can access important city documents and connecting the community with government resources.

Polls are open in Indiana until 6pm tonight.