Both Plainville and Montgomery have contested races in the upcoming elections. Candidates are all running as independents.

In Montgomery, Cindy Smith is challenging incumbent Michelle “Shellie” Fuhs for the clerk-treasurer position.

Fuhs has served in the position for three years since she was appointed to take the place of the retiring clerk-treasurer, Mary Sue Showalter. She makes sure the town’s bills get paid and helps manage grant funding.

She is currently helping administer a $525,000 state Community Focus Fund grant for sewer improvements. The town has also received a $45,000 grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for downtown planning. After the sewer project is under way, Fuhs wants to help the town apply for another grant for downtown revitalization.

Fuhs has a two-year degree in business management and worked for Crane for 11 years. She also managed the books for the family-owned business, Clements Meat Locker, before it burned down. She is a member of the Indiana League of Clerk-Treasurers and is working toward her certification with that organization.

Fuhs has lived in Montgomery, where her husband Troy was born and reared, since 1995. They attend St. Peter’s Church, and Troy is a deputy with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. Shellie is treasurer for the Altar Society, president of Sugarland Homemakers and director of her church’s vacation Bible school.

“Helping people is one of our goals,” she said.

She plans on staying in Montgomery for a long time because her family loves the people in the small town.

Challenger Cindy Smith said she is running for the office because a couple of people in town asked her to. She said she had a lot to learn, but she has eight years of experience in bookkeeping for her son’s business, S&G Auto. She also worked at Barr-Reeve schools as an evening custodian for two years and helped with the senior housing project.

“I’m new at this, but I’m a dependable and honest person,” she said.

Originally from Washington, Smith has lived in Montgomery for 31 years and loves the small town. Both of her grown boys graduated from Barr-Reeve, and her husband, Frank, works for the Department of Natural Resources at Glendale Fish and Wildlife Preserve. She also has two grandchildren.

Plainville Ward 3

Two people are running for the Ward 3 seat on the Plainville Town Board that will be vacated since incumbent David O’Haver has decided not to run again.

Matt Morris, who grew up in the Plainville area, is running because he likes to be active in the community and he wants to bring a younger perspective to an older town. The town is currently trying to get a grant for sewer system upgrades, so Morris feels his background in construction will help the town make good decisions as it moves forward on the project.

Morris graduated from Plainville Elementary, North Daviess High School and Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in finance. He currently works in acquisition support for Raydar at Crane, but he spent several years in customer service at other companies.