BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
Early voting began this week, and Bradford County has two commission seats on the ballot, most of who appeared at an Aug. 4 candidate forum to talk about their campaigns.
The forum was sponsored by the Republican Party of Bradford County, held at the Bradford Fairgrounds, hosted by Richard Solze and broadcast on WEAG 106.3.
All the county commission candidates are running as Republicans, and the forum began with District 2. Larry Davis was up first. He briefly introduced himself as a former road department employee who is now in business for himself. He said he overcame a lot of struggles at a young age to get to this point, and he was grateful to be married to a wonderful woman.
Incumbent Commissioner Kenny Thompson addressed the perception that the county overspends, saying there are enough funds to provide a cushion of several months (in the event of an emergency).
“We’ve got a fire department that we’ve got to deal with. Do we need it? Absolutely,” he said. Thompson also talked about extending infrastructure to the bypass that will attract businesses and generate tax revenue.
“We’ve got a lot of money, but do we have enough? Absolutely not.” One thing the county can look forward to enjoying the proceeds of the renewable energy project now underway at the New River Regional Landfill, he said.
“We got a lot of work to do. COVID killed us, not only this county but our country. But America can come back and so can Bradford County,” Thompson said.
A third candidate for District 2, Mark Williams, did not participate.
Davis and Thompson were both asked what must be done to balance the county’s budget. Davis said major spending cuts are called for. Unnecessary spending needs to be cut in every department, he said.
“We’ve cut and cut and cut,” Thompson said. “There’s nothing else to cut.” If they must, commissioners will continue to rely on reserves to balance the budget, he said.
“Bradford County is sitting on a better cushion than what they think,” he said.
The District 4 portion began with candidate Tom Germano who said he’s spent the last five years immersing himself in the county, serving the local Republican Party, chairing the Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District, joining the board of the Melrose Fire Department, acting as a member of the Traffic Safety Team and chairing Staff Parish Relations at Keystone United Methodist. He said he would use his leadership experience and the experience he has attending local government meetings to bring revenue to Bradford County instead of new taxes and fees.
“I’m with Kenny,” Germano said. “I don’t know that we’re overspending. I’ve watched as our county departments have cut their budgets, and they’ve done a very good job, but cuts don’t replace revenue, and taking an ambulance service does not serve any of our interests.”
The services need to be paid for, he said, and so the costs must be offset with additional revenue. The county should be taking advantage of the growth it is experiencing with an impact fee on new construction, he said.
“District Four is growing fast. This would help pay for the increased demand on the infrastructure,” he said.
Germano said the county can use its natural resources and recreational opportunities to draw visitors to the county, and it must protect those resources by saying no to phosphate mining.
“I respect Commissioner Riddick. He’s served 12 years. But let’s face it, our property taxes are at an all-time high,” Germano said, also pointing to the construction of a fire station in Speedville that cannot fully serve that function.
Germano also talked about candidate Trish Tucker who in charge of finance working for Sheriff Smith.
“I’m not sure how that’s supposed to work. It seems like a huge conflict of interest,” he said, adding candidate Christiann Hudson was not present at the forum and had not attended commission meetings.
“We can keep doing the same thing over and over again, and in four years, we’re going to be talking about the same thing,” he said.
Incumbent Commissioner Danny Riddick said it has been an honor to serve for more than 11 years. In that time, he said, almost all the dirt roads in District 4 now have millings or chip seal. Sidewalks were added along S.R. 21. Speedville has that fire station that is now answering calls, and grants provided playground equipment for the community park.
Other accomplishments include resurfacing of county roads with state dollars as well as the sidewalks around Hampton Lake, he said. Soon, he said, the county will be repaving some roads on its own thanks to a paving machine acquired with gas tax revenue.
“We are planning and preparing to bring in smart growth for jobs and revenue,” Riddick said, adding he prays for guidance for every decision he makes.
Candidate Trish Tucker said Bradford County is headed in the wrong direction, adding poor spending choices have resulted in higher taxes and failing infrastructure.
“‘I’ll say the elephant in the room out loud: If commissioners continue to spend at the rate we’ve been spending, and if commissioners continue to borrow money from our reserves the way they have been, Bradford County be facing a serious financial crisis within the next few years,” she said.
As the sheriff’s finance director, she said she knows how to balance a budget.
“Each year we’ve found ways to stay under our budget and return money to the county. We’ve had to make those tough choices. We need a county commission that will both make those tough choices but also work to find new sources of revenue,” Tucker said. Instead, she said the commission has placed the burden on taxpayers.
According to her, the county could be attracting revenue from the outside by encouraging more visitors and residential growth.
“As a proud lifelong Republican. I believe in the values of conservative governance, and I believe now more than ever, we need real conservative governance in Bradford County,” she said.
This set of candidates was asked about improving fire services in rural areas. Germano said it would cost even more money than had already been spent, but the Speedville station needs to be brought up to code and living quarters added so it can operate 24/7.
Riddick defended the county’s prior investment in the Speedville station, saying support came from a few sources, including volunteers and the RV park.
“Anybody that knows me knows that I have been working hard on fire protection ever since I’ve been in office,” he said,
Tucker suggested using state aid to make improvements in the Speedville station. In addition to more firefighters, she said her heart was with law enforcement, and more public safety personnel on the road would help the whole county.
Soil and water group meets
The Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m. at the Bradford County Extension Office.
There will be a discussion about the conditions of Alligator Creek, Lake Sampson and the Sampson Canal, and the increased risk of flooding that may result from blockages in the drainage system. There will also be reports on the status of district projects and activities.
Contact Paul Still at [email protected] or call 904-368-0291 for more information. These meetings are open to the public.
