Samantha Stratton, Beech Grove’s clerk-treasurer and a fourth-generation resident, loves her small city on the southside.
“Beech Grove’s a very friendly place and people are very welcoming,” Stratton said. “And I think it’s rare, also, to see people care so much about the history of their city.”
Despite her fondness, Stratton moved away from Beech Grove in 2015 to pursue a career in film production, and even had a stint with Amazon MGM Studios. It was a dream. But once the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and Stratton was forced to work remotely in Los Angeles, she began to reflect on the trajectory of her life.
“I like my job, I’m good at my job, but I don’t know if it’s making me happy,” Stratton said. “And I also don’t know if I’m actually contributing to society in any way that I feel is helping.”
But, every cloud has a silver lining.
Stratton moved back to Beech Grove in 2021. During that time, she poured into the city by creating Silver Linings Coffeehouse, a place where people of all ages can brew new ideas or mingle with friends.
In August, after nearly four years on Main Street, Stratton stepped away from the business to focus on her work in local government.
What is a clerk-treasurer?
Stratton comes from a long line of family members who worked to build and maintain Beech Grove.
It all began when Stratton’s great-grandfather, Holly, moved to the southside city in the early 1900s to work on the railroad system. Alice Stratton, her great-grandfather’s cousin, became a clerk-treasurer in 1947, and was reported to be the first woman to enter Beech Grove’s mayoral race.
Stratton, elected in 2023, is carrying on the family tradition.
“I didn’t have any issues with the city when I ran,” Stratton said. “My goal is to just manage the budget well and be fiscally responsible.”
The types of local government positions can vary per community. Some have treasurers, who mostly oversee finances, or clerks, whose duties include managing records and issuing licenses.
Then, there are positions that merge both responsibilities into one role. In Beech Grove, the clerk-treasurer oversees the city’s finances, records meetings and manages the city’s website and digital records, in addition to other roles.
“The position is not the same for every city. I think it’s a very unique position where, yes, you have your baseline things you have to do,” Stratton said. “Money is money, math is math — there’s not a lot of wiggle room there. But, sometimes clerk-treasurers do more than that.”
Over the past few months, Beech Grove community organizations have been determined to engage and support residents by hosting community festivals, but the city also is navigating an uncertain economic future. It’s left many questioning if there really is light at the end of the tunnel.
But, Stratton sees a silver lining. She hopes residents’ worries will fuel a desire to engage in local government by volunteering with service providers or attending city meetings.
“I think in times like right now, it feels like we’re all helpless to legislation outside of our power at the federal level and the state level,” Stratton said. “But, at the local level, you still have so many chances to get involved and to make a difference.”
Southport coffee shop expands to Beech Grove
Although Stratton has left the coffee shop on Main Street, residents can still grab a local cup of joe. Owners of The Mocha Nut Coffee Shop, a Southport staple, have taken over the former location of Silver Livings Coffeehouse.
Longtime Southport resident Marnie Weber, her husband Clint, and their son, Seth, opened The Mocha Nut Coffee Shop six years ago. Even though none of the owners of the family-run business started off as coffee fanatics, they’ve been determined to blend beans and community.
“I think people have lost a lot of what it’s like to do life with people long-term and just keep showing up for each other,” Marnie Weber said. “So we want to just provide a place to the best that we can, hear what the community wants and needs, and set the table and let them have at it.”
Clint said the Southport location has hosted multiple community events — including wedding ceremonies, baby showers and graduation parties — and hopes the Beech Grove storefront will too.
Residents can visit the new location from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays at 700 Main St.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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