Candidates engaged in a hearty discussion of local politics at Monday evenings political forum for those running for Allen County commission.
About 30 attended the event sponsored by Allen County Farm Bureau.
Each candidate introduced himself and his positions on local affairs before taking questions.
Jerry Daniels, the Republican incumbent, will face Democrat Mike Bruner on the Nov. 6 ballot. Both are from Humboldt and would represent the First District.
Daniels said the county is in a very favorable position because of the increased property tax receipts owed by the Enbridge pipeline and the incoming windmill development.
Were in a position to use those tax dollars your money to do good things, he said.
That revenue also has afforded commissioners to lower property tax mill levies for the past several years, Daniels noted.
His goals as a county commissioner have been to fix roads, see that our beautiful hospital stays successful and see that county employees are paid well.
Because he won his seat by a coin toss, Daniels said he has learned to appreciate that every vote counts.
In 2014, Daniels and Jim Mueller from Moran ran for the position vacated by Dick Works. Daniels and Mueller tied. A coin toss decided the victor.
Daniels flies helicopters and is a former police officer and highway patrol officer.
RECENTLY retired from teaching history for 40 years in the Chanute school district, Mike Bruner said one of the reasons hes trying a shot at elective politics is because Im absolutely convinced that if you have competition in an election and you have two or more good candidates who are thoughtful and good listeners, then whoever wins that election is going to be a more attentive and harder worker.
Bruner said looking at the slate of local candidates in the 2016 election, really bothered me, in that not only did several of the candidates lack opposition, but several of the positions lacked any candidates at all.
That disengagement especially for a history teacher of civic affairs made Bruner realize that being an armchair politician was not good enough.
Over the past several months Bruner has driven almost all of Allen Countys 500 miles of roads in the First District introducing himself as a candidate and listening to the concerns of local citizens.
