Tony Roswarski

After West Lafayette’s recycling drop-off center closed earlier this year, local officials struggled to find a way to meet demand from residents. The closure coincided with a nationwide upheaval as China stopped accepting materials from the United States.

China’s decision has had far-reaching effects, with major recycling centers closing or halting operation in multiple states.

Despite being a landlocked state that didn’t do much work with China, Indiana has also felt the impact. China’s decision has created a glut in the market – so even if facilities process materials, they may not have any buyers.

Last month, we asked Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski about an unusual step his city's Board of Public Works took -- rejecting all the bids for a road repair contract on Beck Lane.

This month, we talk about not just the re-opening of those bids, but the awarding of a contract for a little less than the original amount the city had planned to spend. But here's the catch -- not as much is going to get done for the same money.

Lafayette city officials argue historic preservation is good for economic development. But not every building can be protected. The city plans to redevelop Five Points – but there’s a debate over whether to restore historic properties or build something new.

How will the proposed demolition of the E.M. Weaver building change plans for Five Points development? What effect might it have on the timeline for developing the area? And what role does preservation of similar historic landmarks play in economic development for Lafayette?

It’s not often that cities turn down all the bids they receive for a project, but that’s just what Lafayette’s Board of Works did this week on a road paving and sidewalk improvement job.

And to hear Mayor Tony Roswarski tell it, this story might be more common in the coming years, because it’s a seller’s market in the construction trades. A lack of qualified workers means companies don’t have the manpower to do all the available jobs at once, and they can pick and choose only the most lucrative projects – and charge more for the work than they used to.

We say often on Ask The Mayor that if a topic is affecting one community in our rotation, there’s a good chance it’s affecting others, too.

For months, we’ve talked to West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis about a lack of coordination between traffic signals in the city. Now, two listeners have written in to ask why Lafayette seems to be battling a similar issue.

Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski has already announced his intention to run for a fifth term in office when next year’s elections roll around. But this week on WBAA’s Ask The Mayor, we ponder whether the increasingly nasty tone of this year’s races is causing him to think about what may be a more bruising political climate when he runs next.

In this week’s elections in Tippecanoe County, Democrats fielded a candidate in just two of the seven countywide races. It’s the continuation of a trend of apathy from the party in recent years.

This week on WBAA’s Ask The Mayor, we talk with the highest-ranking Democrat in the county – Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski – about what that dearth of participation means for his party – especially in a year where Democrats were supposed to be energized.