Five Republicans — Keely Butrum, Kent Fisk, Kirk Jocham, Robin Lowder and Ray Richardson — are running for nomination for three at-large seats on the Hancock County Council. The Daily Reporter asked all the candidates a series of questions about their qualifications. Each of their responses is posted in a separate story located under the “News” tab on our site.
The county council is the fiscal body for county government. What fiscal management background and experience makes you stand out as the best-qualified candidate for this position?
I have been working in finance for 15 years, which makes me uniquely qualified for the county council position. My whole adult life has been spent professionally evaluating financial situations, incomes, expenditures, goals, budgets, investments and economic variables in an attempt to create financial plans that have the highest likelihood of success.
What factors would you use to determine whether a company should be granted a tax abatement?
My first consideration will be if the median wage is competitive enough for employees to live in Hancock County. It is often said that we need to create jobs, but if pay is low then the people who live here can’t afford to work there. Evaluating median wage versus the common practice of evaluating the mean wage is also more comprehensive, in my opinion. If there are few relatively high-wage earners, there is still the appearance in the wage average that the company brings well-paying jobs when in reality perhaps very few are paid well within the company.
What strategy should the county be using to attract well-paying jobs to our borders?
Companies have been building and expanding, and Hancock County has been an attractive option on its own accord. This will be much more limited should economic contraction occur. Overall, I believe that we should be seeking diversity in the types of industries we pursue, and we should not limit ourselves to warehousing and manufacturing. Twenty well-paying jobs may be better than 100 low-income positions that will be worked by non-residents, and it is more important how these jobs look in the lives of our citizens than in a photo-op ribbon cutting or ground-breaking ceremony.
Name three things that the council can do to be sure the county stays on a firm financial footing.
1. We must live within our means. There is a balance between preparing for growth and trying to do too much at once on the taxpayers’ dollar.
2. Strive to maintain a healthy reserve balance that gives a buffer for downturns without wrongfully stashing too much cash from taxpayers.
3. Practice beginning with the end in mind. Start with a clear picture of what you wish to achieve, and then work backwards to determine the required steps and timeline necessary to reach the goal so resources aren’t wasted taking steps in the wrong direction.
You have just learned that the county has received a $1 million grant to use as you see fit. How will you invest it?
The first thing I would want to do is survey the taxpayers formally or informally to get their thoughts and ideas. I have no problem voting for whatever the public sees as most favorable in any given situation, even if it is not what I would pick personally. I have talked to many residents as a former Greenfield City Council member and as a candidate for this countywide race, and I still hear repeated interest in 4-H facilities, more parks/trails, and other outdoor recreational activities that give our youth healthy ways to spend their time.
What should the council be doing to involve the public more in the council’s decision-making process?
First, I would like to see the online services upgraded so that any citizen has access to significantly more information online. It is not feasible for the average person to attend frequent government meetings in person, but I believe it crucial that the public still have access to all the information after the fact as if they had been there in person. Transparency in government is more important than ever, and video of public meetings should always be available online should the public wish to be more involved or make reference to them.
