Having done business inside and outside Iola, Don Bauer thinks he can lend a valuable voice to the Allen County Commission.
Bauer, 71, is seeking the Republican nomination for the District 3 seat on the commission. The district includes the north, south and west sides of Iola and South Iola Township.
As a lifelong Allen Countian, Bauer grew up on a farm near Elsmore. He continues to farm with brothers Darrell and Duane.
While the searing hot weather has been the bane of most every farmer in the area, it has provided an ancillary benefit.
“Our haying was done early, so it’s given me some spare time,” he said.
Before dedicating all of his duties to farming, Bauer also worked as an independent insurance agent in downtown Iola for 25 years. He then worked for 10 years at Gates Corporation.
Those experiences would serve Bauer well on the County Commission, he said.
“I’ve got friends all over the county, and I have a pretty good feel for the issues facing Allen County,” he said. “Just as much, I know the issues facing Iola.”
BAUER SPOKE briefly on various issues facing the county.
He favors seeing a single ambulance service for all of Allen County, but not at the expense of losing the Iola Fire Department’s full-time status — which not so coincidentally, was how the Allen County program operated until the county and Iola split in 2008.
“There’s got to be a cooperative effort, if we can make it work economically,” he said.
Efficient, professional service for all is the aim.
Still, he recognizes the conundrum: “Everybody wants their own service. But it’s my destre to help establish and maintain a good relationship between the city and county. I’m pretty good at keeping things on an even keel.”
BAUER also praised current and previous county commissioners for their efforts to keep spending in line.
“Costs go up, and we need to keep our spending stable,” Bauer said. “I think they’ve been able to do that.”
And while taxes have gone up, the county has much to show for it.
