Why are you running for office?
I’m running for office simply to change the status quo. Our current incumbent officials, aside from maybe two combined in the council and commissioners board, aren’t getting the job done. We are facing a jail issue that has been on the table for years. Now we have an estimated $70 million project to get a new jail, and nowhere else to go. I’m all for building the new jail at whatever the cost because it is the responsibility of the local government to provide that service, but our incumbent officials (Fisk, Huber, Armstrong, Bledsoe, etc.) need to lose their jobs. They need to be replaced, and I plan to start by solidifying the people’s voice and the people’s concerns straight up to the highest elected office in the county.
What are the most challenging aspects of the county commissioner position?
I think the most challenging is getting our tax policy at a place that gives more purchasing power to the individual and doesn’t put a burden or strain on them. We have to consider that state and federal government collect taxes, too. In areas like income and property our first concern needs to be to the taxpayer. We have to set levels at an appropriate level to offer some relief for people who decide to make Hancock County their home.
What is the role of the board of commissioners in deciding on a solution to the overcrowded county jail?
The role is not only managing the issue, but setting a price for the project, and also getting the resolution passed to effectively begin construction and put this issue aside. We must take a progressive approach on this issue. The sheriff and county jail officials have said for over a decade we need a new jail; their voices have only gotten more and more prevalent due to the mass overcrowding and media coverage on this issue. It’s sad that our sheriff cannot come to the commissioners board and ask for something that is within reason and get it done right away.
What do you think needs to be accomplished in the next two years to create more space/build a new county jail?
The next two years? Hopefully in the next two years we have a new jail. If elected, I plan to start the project immediately and start looking at what land we will use, and what hoops we have to jump through to get a contractor to start immediately. The council will be expected to pass a resolution to provide the money for this project. Too many years have gone by wasted talking about this project and nobody has stepped up to act. In these types of situations, we must act swiftly and decisively to get the job done. That’s why the people elected us, and anything less means he or she should be out of a job.
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Name: Zachary LaFavers
Age: 21
Party: Democrat
Office sought: Hancock County Commissioner District 2
Occupation: Full-time student at Anderson University; Indiana Army National Guardsman
Political experience: None
Family: Single
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