Incumbent Steve Burks seeks re-election as New Albany Township Trustee, with building commissioner David Brewer opposing him.

Steve Burks, a Republican, was elected to the office of New Albany Township Trustee in 2014. Burks is running for re-election this year.

A township trustee is an elected official in the local government of the U.S. state of Indiana. A township trustee administers a township, which in Indiana is the primary political subdivision of a county, and in common with most other state officials serves a term of four years.

Here's the skinny from 2014.

County Councilman Burks wins New Albany trustee’s seat (Theoretically Local Chain Newspaper)

FLOYD COUNTY — Republican Steve Burks will be trading one seat for another after scoring a victory over an incumbent Tuesday night.

Burks received 5,540 votes, or 52.9 percent, while Democrat Jeannie Freiberger received 4,926 votes, or 4,926 votes, in the New Albany Township Trustee race.

Burks is a pastor and also an at-large Floyd County councilman, so he will have to resign his seat

“I do benevolence all the time. That is what I do,” he said of his new post, which is largely tasked with helping the less fortunate. “I will try to be more efficient in that department. I want to give people a hand up instead of a hand out. I want people to be accountable."

Burks' opponent on November 6th is David Brewer, a Democrat and the city's Building Commissioner. Brewer also is locally renowned as an assistant basketball coach at New Albany High School.

Historically, NA Confidential has enjoyed good relations with Brewer, and we believe he does a good job as the building commissioner. It's an appointed position, not an elected one.

Re-reading the newspaper article linked above, I recalled a conversation I once had over coffee with Burks, who said he knew going into the 2014 election cycle that a person can't simultaneously hold two elected offices. If victorious in the trustee's race, he'd be compelled to resign as a county councilman.

Burks also discussed the possibility with his church, which accepted the idea of him being both pastor and trustee, given that trustees have a responsibility to those in need similar to that embraced by the church.

As an aside, here are the yearly rates of pay for the government jobs mentioned in this post.

Floyd County council representative: $10,000
Township trustee: $40,000
Building commissioner: $54,000

There does not appear to be a rule governing the simultaneous occupancy of an elected and an appointed office.

Currently the New Albany Township Trustee's office is located at the City-County Building on Hauss Square, which also is the headquarters of the Building Commission. It seems likely that if Burks is re-elected, he'll remain at his current office. If Brewer is the winner, is not known whether he's remain on duty as building commissioner, or move the office to the new City Hall being remodeled on Main Street.

The election is on November 6, and early voting at the county clerk's office begins on October 10.