Public Service or Self-Service? Sheila Niezgodski's Path from Vendor to Chair of Public Works
- Logan Foster
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 28
Public Service or Self-Service? Sheila Niezgodski's Path from Vendor to Chair of Public Works
Date: 04/24/25
Author: Logan Foster
SOUTH BEND, Ind.—Concerns about public officials abusing power have long captured the attention of citizens and media alike. While recent headlines have focused on those indicted for fraud or under active investigation by authorities, Sheila Niezgodski, a South Bend Common Council member and prominent Democrat, presents a third category of scrutiny, those who soon could be under active investigation. Her path from managing a family business that receives government contracts to overseeing the governing body that awards those contracts raises critical questions about conflicts of interest and the conduct of elected officials.
From Plumbing Office Manager to Public Office
Sheila Niezgodski entered the political arena after being elected to South Bend's Common Council in 2019, representing District 6. A Democrat, she ran unopposed in the 2019 and 2023 general elections. Before taking office, Niezgodski served as the office manager for her family business, Niezgodski Plumbing, Inc., a company in which 80% of its ownership was held by her, her husband (Indiana State Senator David Niezgodski, also a Democrat), and their dependents.
While Sheila Niezgodski's political career may appear unremarkable on the surface, public records obtained from the city of South Bend suggest a different narrative. Since Niezgodski assumed public office, her family's plumbing company has reportedly received close to $3 million from the City of South Bend for various public work. A breakdown of the yearly payments reveals a steady flow of funds:
2020: $679,600.47
2021: $693,367.72
2022: $776,988.67
2023: $771,889.91
2024: Waiting For Public Records
Given her position on the South Bend Common Council, the significant revenue directed toward Niezgodski Plumbing, Inc.
raises questions of transparency and potential self-enrichment.
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