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Can you separate your position as a Reserve Deputy from that of the Board of County Commissioners?

Over the past 3 1/2 years I have been dedicated to the constituents of Park County to represent them responsibly and fairly in the board room and have always been accountable to them with my decisions. I am a County Commissioner first and foremost and decisions that I make in the board room are made only after careful consideration of all relevant information and what will be in the best interest of Park County. This is both a privilege and a responsibility that I take very seriously. I have worked as a Reserve Deputy in order to keep my post certification. People may have seen me at Platte Canyon High School, Fitzsimmons Middle School and Deer Creek Elementary. I have a deep abiding concern for the safety of the county's young people and I was glad to be able to fill in when no others were available. I was in law enforcement previous to becoming a Commissioner and since we are limited with term limits, I will need to obtain employment after serving as a Commissioner and post certification is required for law enforcement. It is not difficult for me to separate myself from the Sheriff's Department, I am grateful that I can serve the community in this manner in addition to serving as County Commissioner.

Can you address the issue of our roads here in Park County?

Our current Road and Bridge budget has not grown to accomodate our 1600+ miles of roads within Park County and is mostly derived from Highway User Transportation Funding. The BOCC has presented, to the constituents of Park County, a sales tax to help directly fund road and bridge, which was defeated. The BOCC has also explored alternative funding resources such as Limited Improvement Districts. During my previous campaign, I committed to exploring different ways for increasing our budget. Currently, we are looking at a possibility of obtaining grant monies through the Department of Local Affairs which would bring monies in to help improve our equipment and put materials towards the repair and maintenance of our roads. However, the Road and Bridge Department needs a permanent funding stream if our transportation infrastructure is ever to be improved. A stagnant budget coupled with the increased cost of doing business and an increasing demand for services creates a unique challenge for any county commissioner. The future of roads truly rests with the constituents of our county. The BOCC is bound by the will of the people.

Another position that the BOCC recently filled is the Director of the Communications Center. The concern is strictly for the safety of the public. The Emergency Services Council has agreed to fund half of the salary for this position. We have formed an Ops Board of people involved in emergency services to help support the Director. So far, all of the fire chiefs, ambulance districts and all others involved in public safety are delighted with the outcome of this decision. These positions will pay for themselves and are very needed in the county. Considering the astronomical costs of road improvements, the amount of money that would go toward roads would not be significant enough to change the condition of the roads.