Six seek seats on county commission
Six candidates will appear on this year's ballot as options for the
Additional information on where and how to vote can be found in a separate story in these pages.
Therefore, candidate answers do not address issues related to the current state of disaster.
Blevins, Ellis and Masters all had their questionnaire answers published in these pages once before, when they ran in the
Educational background: High school diploma -
What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner?
1) My priority would be finding a way to keep our foster-care children within our county. 2) I want to ensure that
What are the two greatest challenges facing
I feel that all communities should come together (a representative from each) to develop a plan that will benefit each community. This would mean commissioners meeting with each community to assess their needs and resources. We need to have ongoing communication with all. Funding and grants should be applied for by commissioners and designated community persons.
What does the term Open Government mean to you?
Open government, to me, is the towns of
We have owned our home since 2002 and have lived in
My wife's family has had a home in the
Professional background: I am a retired professional firefighter with the
I volunteer with the
Educational Background: I have an associate's degree in emergency management. I have many fire and paramedic certificates.
Why are you running for a seat on the
I have professional experience that I can use to become a good commissioner and hit the ground running. I love our community and believe we have a lot of ongoing projects that will enhance our community. As commissioners, we must create an environment encouraging businesses to come to
I would work hard to establish a master plan for
I am a strong supporter of emergency services. I would like to start the conversation about the future of
What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner?
We need to be very transparent about property tax reevaluation. The commission should hold many informational meetings throughout the county to explain the process well before it begins. Our tax evaluation has many moving pieces. As I gathered signatures for this election, I listened to numerous citizens talk about their properties' recent reevaluation. They had concerns that could have been answered through informational meetings. The County Commissioners should distribute the information and not let the grapevine control it.
My second priority is emergency services, including emergency medical services. We need to monitor Mitchell Medics' contract and set benchmarks that the commission can monitor to ensure its effectiveness. I fully support the sheriff's office and our 911 dispatch service.
My main focus is our local volunteer fire departments. These fire departments are struggling and still determining what the future will bring. Our volunteer fire departments save us millions of dollars, but as our communities have changed, they have fewer and fewer volunteers. We need to start the conversation on plans to provide fire service to the citizens of
What are the two greatest challenges facing
The best way to control property taxes is to reduce the reliance on personal property taxes. At the same time, businesses are increasing their infrastructure. This will require more workers and, therefore, more affordable housing. As stated previously, I spoke to numerous contractors when I was getting signatures for this election. They all had the same concern:
The
Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can
I see several areas where the county and the two cities could collaborate more. The first area is purchasing. If the three entities came together, they could have a purchasing agreement. They could buy vehicles, general equipment, and supplies as one organization. This would give them the power to get better pricing and terms on more expensive items.
The three entities should have combined meetings every quarter. This is the best way to allow communication to flow, which solves many issues.
We should also work hard to include the entire county. I would work hard to understand the needs and solutions to help every citizen in the county or the cities.
What does the term Open Government mean to you?
Decisions should not be made where they might be concealed from the public. Our local government's job is to foster an environment where citizens thrive and have confidence in their commissioners.
This is accomplished by performing duties in person rather than by email or text. Commissioners should not discuss issues outside of meetings. Citizens deserve the right to hear each commissioner's rationale for a decision. This makes everyone comfortable and helps them understand the decision, even if they disagree. The rumor mill is full force when decisions are made behind closed doors. Letting the citizens see the process so they understand and have the truth is much better. I strongly support an open government.
I was born in
Professional background: I have been an educator for 30 years; primarily as a guidance counselor in the
I have also been a Christmas tree farmer for over 40 years.
Educational background:
The experiences and knowledge that I have accumulated over the years spent in education and the farming business, have given me a unique understanding of the people of
Because I am not interested in petty politics, I am free to serve the people What would be your top two priorities as county commissioners?
My first priority would be to develop the economic health of the county to a level that will allow our young people to stay in the county, or return to the county, and also attract new permanent residents. The population in 2010 was 15, 579. It actually dropped to 14, 906 in 2020 and was 15, 094 in 2022.
Another important priority for me is access to health care. From about 1998 to 2017,
What are the two greatest challenges facing
Economic Development in
Fly fishing needs to be expanded by working with landowners to reduce the amount of posted land. We need to develop hiking trails into the Yellow Mountain Natural Area. The state has
Attracting new residents is tied to quality of life. Access to health care is a priority, especially for elderly, retired people. The current medical resources are a serious liability.
The County should also invest more money in the school system. Instruction areas, such as music education, should be funded. To name the auditorium at
Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can
Success depends on genuine collaboration. The first step is to create a joint task force with representatives from each government, major business, and community leaders. This task force should develop a Strategic Plan; the plan should include clear goals, timelines and success standards for issues addressed, such as economic development, recreation or housing.
This joint task force should emphasize transparency by regularly sharing information, progress reports and challenges.
Pooling resources, expertise and grant opportunities must be a priority.
The task force should celebrate its achievements and try to learn from setbacks.
By working together, the county and its towns can transform the quality of life for its people. This collaboration will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
What does the term Open Government mean to you?
Open Government includes several procedures and activities designed to make government more transparent, accountable, and accessible to the public. It is based on the core principles of: Transparency: open access to government information and processes, including records, data, and decision-making procedures.
Participation: Bringing citizens into the decision-making process through public hearings, input into budgeting and citizen advisory boards.
Accountability; Ensuring that government officials are answerable for their actions and held responsible for fulfilling their obligations Overall, open government aims to strengthen trust between citizens and their government, increase public participation in decision-making and create more democratic and responsive governance.
Educational background: Bachelor of arts in K-6 Instruction; master of arts in K-6 Instruction; educational specialist (Ed.S.) in K-12 Curriculum Supervision with an Academically Intellectually Gifted Concentration Why are you running for a seat on the
I am a candidate because I love our community and I want to support the people of
Overall, my values as a potential candidate are for the people of
What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? The first priority is knowing what to expect when property tax re-evaluation time rolls around. County leaders need to keep citizens informed on updates and changes. In order to help people understand their property evaluation, leaders should consider these ideas to help ease the burden of stress many citizens have during the re-evaluation period: Look at your tax rate and bill and then look at comparable homes in your neighborhood, walk through your property with the assessor to address all points affecting its assessed value, and remember, property taxes are calculated by multiplying your county's effective tax rate by the most recent assessment of your property's value.
The second priority is educating people on how important education is to our county and how local funding goes to work in our local schools. For example, it is the state of
What are the two greatest challenges facing
As
Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can
I want to bring the communities of Baskerville and
First, I will focus on supporting established programs that currently benefit both
What does the term Open Government mean to you?
Open government refers to a government that is transparent with its citizens. For instance, in an open government, the budget could be easily understood and accessible to citizens because it is a citizen's right to understand where their tax money is being used.
Additionally, each agency that receives tax money would give an annual report to the citizens. Commissioners in an open government would not discuss topics with other commissioners outside meeting times. Overall, an open government holds those in government positions accountable because citizens are constantly informed and made aware of government happenings. Having an open government within our county is vital, so that our people feel as if they understand the decisions being made within our great county.
How long have you lived in
I was born here in 1991, but I moved to
Professional background: I started working when I was 16 years old, waiting tables at
Educational background:
Why are you running for a seat on the
When I was sworn into office as a commissioner in 2020, we compiled a list of goals, short and long term. Among them was a new recreation center for everyone, young and old, a new sheriff's office, and better county representation on local, regional and state boards. We've worked diligently towards those goals, accomplishing most of them in the past three years. I am running for reelection to continue working towards the long-term betterment of
What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? My first priority as a county commissioner will be to continue engaging all our communities, listening to them about their needs, including those of our county departments who serve the public daily. Second, I will make sure we have county policies that follow both the spirit and letter of the law, providing transparency to allow citizen oversight. Citizens have a right to know how county government works for them.
What are the two greatest challenges facing
Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can
Communication is key. The best thing I have found to be effective in working together with the county and the municipalities is having an open dialog. But that conversation has to go beyond municipalities into the further out communities like Buladean,
Professional background: I was blessed to be brought into the health insurance business by my dad. I have worked with good friends - and my wife - over the last 29 years to grow a business that serves the needs of people in our community and our region. Understanding how complex health insurance is, and helping business owners, families and others to make good decisions on how to insure themselves has been very rewarding. This is truly a "community service" job that I am proud to have.
Educational background:
Many friends and local businesses encouraged me to step up to serve our county, and after many conversations and a lot of prayer, I felt led to give back. Growing up in the Minpro area, my childhood could not have been better. As I got older, local people looked after me, gave me direction, offered help, and have been there for me. Serving my community has always been important - whether in my Church or locally for several nonprofits, including the
What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? Budget: The
Supporting Education: We now compete for local students prior to kindergarten through the college level with Mayland. We have to support our education system at every level with all available resources. We are all aware of how much more everything costs. Schools are no different than any other
What are the two greatest challenges facing
Drug Abuse: While I don't have an answer to this issue, I don't hesitate to say this is our biggest problem. Regardless of age, or anything else, drug abuse is ripping families apart and stealing the life expectancy of its victims. Drug abuse does not discriminate. It doesn't see wealth or poverty. It can impact from any walk of life. If I have learned anything since I filed for the election, it is we have a plethora of challenges ahead. We have an obligation to work on drug abuse on many levels.
Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can
With the limited finances available to
As more services are needed, this could help all three entities as well as the service provider as well. Both Towns have great leadership as well as great people, so I am confident that both would work in partnership toward any project that makes our County better.
What does the term Open Government mean to you?
Open Government means that public officials have an obligation to discuss and decide the county's business in public view. No decisions made behind closed doors or over text. Accountability to the public means letting citizens know the process, see the information that is considered and to make decisions in public meetings. Period.
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