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Buckley trades fire hat for mayor’s gavel: Service to Beech Grove residents motivates him
Years ago, Dennis Buckley determined his life’s mission: serving the residents of Beech Grove.
For 18 years, he protected them as a firefighter. He moved up to fire chief for 12 more years, supervising 32 firefighters and six civilian paramedics.
On Jan. 1, Democrat Buckley moved into the mayor’s office, beginning his newest role in public service.
The freshman mayor said his interest in the job was ignited by some decisions made by the previous administration. Because he considers himself the kind of guy who steps up to resolve problems instead of simply complaining, Buckley discussed a potential bid with Patty, his wife of 35 years. When she offered unwavering support, Buckley came out of retirement and announced his intentions.
“I was born and raised in Beech Grove. I’ve been here my entire life. I felt I had nothing to lose by deciding to run for mayor,” he said.
To reach as many voters as possible, Buckley knocked on 6,000 doors. His efforts paid off in the voting booth in November, when he mustered more support than Republican Terry Dilk. Dilk had been selected by GOP committeeman in January 2011 to fill the balance of former Mayor Joe Wright’s term.
“I spoke to a lot of people,” Buckley said. “In fact, I talked and my wife took good notes. She was there with me every step of the way. And what I’m doing now is working off those notes.”
Following his Nov. 8 victory, this father and grandfather began paving the way for his New Year’s Day inauguration. “I started working on Nov. 9,” he said with a laugh.
Now that his first official month at the helm in City Hall is complete, Buckley is pleased with the completed tasks. He remains on the move with support from administrative assistant Julie Lockwood, who helps with frequently ringing telephones and organizes his demanding schedule.
“I’ve really been busy,” he said. “I have met a lot of people.”
Along with listening to concerns in this city of 14,000, Buckley made administrative changes, naming Robert Cheshire as fire chief, Craig Wiley as city attorney and Mark Swartz as police chief.
Looking ahead to recreational needs, Buckley named Tom Hammon as park director, a city position that had been vacant for several years.
To help keep families informed, an easily accessible website, beechgrove.com came online. Additionally, a mayor’s call center is available to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“If someone has a problem, our goal is to get back with them before the end of the work day,” the mayor said. “We want to be accessible to the people.”
Q: What’s been the most surprising part about serving as Beech Grove’s mayor?
A: It’s really been a surprise or shock to see the bad shape of a lot of the buildings and city equipment.
Q: What do you see as your three biggest challenges?
A: Maintaining and improving personal safety of the residents, improving the quality of life for our senior citizens and children and generating revenue to improve public service departments, such as our police and fire departments.
Q: What’s most important in your office?
A: All of the people who work in city hall are so important. They have all helped me so much.
Q: What motivated you to run for mayor?
A: I wanted to help make our city better.
Q: What’s your favorite part about your new job?
A: Without a doubt, my favorite part is to be able to help and serve the people.
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