Metro East Sun

Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser expressed his gratitude to his supporters, extending appreciation to his opponent in the Madison County Chairman race, Kurt Prenzler, noting their alignment on the majority of issues despite differences in approach.

Slusser defeated the incumbent Prenzler in the GOP primary race for Madison County Chairman on March 19. Slusser did not respond to requests for comment from the Metro East Sun.

On Facebook, Slusser noted he and Prenzler have worked together on numerous taxpayer-related initiatives over time. He emphasized that he “will always consider it a privilege to serve" Madison County taxpayers. 

“I want to give God all the glory,” Slusser said of the primary win on Facebook.  

“In a brutal campaign, he gave me a sense of peace that allowed me to weather the storm. I want to thank my family for all of their support and always standing by my side. I also received so much support and encouragement from so many elected leaders in our county, and many volunteers. We built a huge coalition of people looking for change and to get our county headed in the right direction, and our message clearly resonated with the voters. I want to thank all of the voters who turned out and put their trust in me. I will never forget that I serve the taxpayers of this county, and I will always consider it a privilege to serve them.”

“I also want to thank Kurt Prenzler for his service. We probably agree on 99% of the issues, we just differ on execution and style. We’ve fought together on many issues for taxpayers over the years.”

“I had a great campaign team around me, and they truly put together a professional campaign that positioned us to win big.”

After the election results, Prenzler graciously conceded, phoning Slusser to congratulate him on his win.

Slusser is currently unopposed in the forthcoming November elections.

Prenzler has held the position of chairman since his victory over then-incumbent Alan Dunstan in 2016. He appointed Slusser as treasurer when he took on the chairmanship.

Following his appointment by Prenzler in 2016, Slusser secured election victories in 2018 and reelection in 2022.

Nonetheless, the primary election in March 2024 highlighted a notable shift in the relationship between the two once-allies. Both campaigns threw sharp criticisms at each other.

Ultimately, Slusser garnered over 11,000 votes, surpassing Prenzler by more than 4,000 votes.

In an interview with the River Bender, Slusser mentioned Prenzler “lost his way in the last few years.”

He plans to prioritize reform, stressing the importance of broadening the tax base to prevent increases in property taxes.

He advocates for fostering economic development and admires Indiana's initiatives aimed at lowering property taxes.

Additionally, he suggests investigating alternative funding approaches, such as modifying sales tax rates, to bolster support for schools and local services.

Slusser supports the idea of decreasing property taxes by transitioning to using sales taxes to finance public schools. He rejects the efficacy of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL).

Slusser also underscores the importance of a united regional approach to prevent inter-community competition and encourage strategic business incentives. He contends that the county has experienced setbacks due to the absence of such leadership in previous times.