With the filing period for the May 2 municipal primary election set to begin early in the new year, the residents of Seymour now know there will be at least one race on the ballot.

That race was set up earlier this week when Republican Mayor Matt Nicholson

Nicholson

announced his plans to seek reelection.

“In 2018, I announced my candidacy for mayor so that I could focus on serving our community full time and laying the foundation for future generations to enjoy,” Nicholson said in announcing his candidacy.

“Even with all we have done already, we still have plenty to accomplish,” he said. “With millions in sewer projects on the horizon, the O’Brien Street corridor taking shape and recovery becoming a more natural conversation, I look forward to continuing my positive, consistent leadership for another term.”

In early May, Seymour native Dan Robison, a Republican, announced his candidacy for the office of mayor.

At the time, Robison said Seymour was a growing city and there are a lot of positive things going on in the city. He said the city needed a strong, strategic leader in city hall who can build partnerships and help plot a clear path forward.

Robison is director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Nicholson, who also is a Seymour native, said over the last three years, city leaders have accomplished so much in many different areas.

He said he has put emphasis on public safety by investing more than $6 million in the police and fire departments’ infrastructure by securing more than 97% of possible Community Crossings Matching Grant funds and establishing new award-winning programs such as the Curb Appeal Program that was just honored by Accelerate Indiana Municipalities.

“My team has landed more than our fair share of grant funding all while maintaining level debt and lowering our tax rate for 2023,” Nicholson said.

Prior to becoming mayor Jan. 1, 2020, Nicholson had served as the city council representative for District 3 since 2016.

The first day declarations of candidacy can be filed with the county clerk’s office in the Jackson County Judicial Center in Brownstown for the primary is Jan. 4.