The next mayor of South Bend will be known in a matter of days when voters cast their ballots on Election Day.

16 News Now sat down with the two candidates, Republican Sean Haas and Democrat James Mueller, to gather feedback on what they believe are the most pressing issues facing the city.

Haas on public safety

I think, historically, there's been some incidents where police have kind of lost the trust of the community. Understandably, we want to try to make sure we do everything we can to build that trust back up, whether it's having more outreach. I want [the community] to see the police officers -- not just as people who are there in uniform to protect us, but also as citizens of the city that are bought in just as much to our progress. I want to make sure we do more community outreach, whether it's getting them out in roles that are not necessarily seen as law enforcement but also kind of showing them or at least showcasing what they do with their jobs, getting into schools, showing [students] how they do their jobs. Different parts of the department, I think, can also kind of bring in recruiting numbers and maybe get some of the students, young people who are living in the city, to be inspired to join up.

Mueller on public safety

Right now, it seems the gap is wider than we would have hoped between where particularly the [Fraternal Order of Police] is and where our community expects us to be. And so, as mayor, I've got to have tough, honest conversations and communicate with our city employees of what's expected of us from the community. We're all public servants, and we've got to figure out how to get there. At the same time, we have to have tough, honest conversations with the community of what's possible. There are things that not everyone is aware of in terms of complications of what we can implement. [We've] got to have conversations all around and bring people together.

Mueller on the city's growth

Overall, after decades of decline after Studebaker left, we finally turn the corner. Our population is growing again. Our incomes are rising at a faster rate than the national average. So, we're starting to catch up. We're still below state and national averages for incomes, but we're starting to catch up. And since 2015, there's been about $1 billion of investment across the city. We certainly want to see that private investment continue and accelerate. We want to see our population continue to grow, and we would like to see incomes get up to where they need to be.

Haas on infrastructure

We do about 29 miles of road per year, which I don't think is enough. On that pace, we're going to do -- I mean, it takes like 80 years, I think, to do the entire city. So, for 2,000 miles of roads, 29 just isn't enough. So, I want to make sure that, when we look at the budget, that we're prioritizing spending, making sure we have enough, not just for street repairs, potholes, you know, repaving, but also for sewer projects, for sidewalks, for curbs. I want to make sure that becomes a major priority within the budget.

Haas on education

I think, when I've lived here most of my life, and I don't think I've seen the city government really get involved in secondary schools. I think we've seen pre-K and elementary help, in that sense. But I don't think we've seen enough in helping some of the younger adults that are transitioning into adulthood later. So, I want to make sure that we're focusing on things like vocational training, trade skills. [I] did a lot of visiting with different unions over the summer, and I think that that's going to be a big way to not just help kids succeed, you know, economically, give them a chance to make a good, livable wage, have some financial security, but also, I think that's going to make a dent in public safety as well. I think the more opportunity that they have, the less likely they are going to turn to criminal activity.

Mueller on education

The strong schools, strong neighborhoods and strong city go hand in hand. Unfortunately, how they're controlled, we're completely separate, the South Bend school system and the city. But we've got to get that partnership right, because we depend on each other to succeed. In March, I laid out a plan for cradle-to-career education approach that starts with universal access to quality pre-K that sets up every child for success, and as they go through the K-12 system, [it] gets them the training and the mentorship and the opportunities so that they can thrive in employment opportunities upon graduation.

Mueller on what sets him apart

The most striking difference is the matter of experience. I've been working in the city over the past four years as Mayor Pete [Buttigieg]'s chief of staff, and then [as] executive director of community investment. Before that, I had worked in Sen. [Maria] Cantwell's office in Washington state. I know how to get things done in government, and I've been delivering results for years. That experience is an important piece, and that's what I think separates us the most.

Haas on what sets him apart

I'm just a regular citizen. I think that's one of the big differences. I teach history. I think one of the best things our founders did when they created our system is they didn't put really any requirements on having experience as being a public official or government official. I think if you have passion for service, if you want to help your community succeed, I think, really, that's all you need, because even if you're not an expert in every single aspect of government and how it runs, I think you can surround yourself with people in that sense. I feel like I have good leadership skills. I'm a good facilitator. I'm cooperative. I'm accessible. And those are things that I bring in the classroom every day, and I think that's why I'm a pretty good teacher and why I'd make a pretty good mayor.

For additional information on the candidates, visit

compiled by the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area.