Election 2020 4 Gallatin County Board candidates vie for 3 seats

GALLATIN COUNTY - Four Gallatin County Board candidates seek election in a contested race with three seats available. The Gallatin Democrat-Ridgway News asked each candidate to identify what they felt are the county's greatest challenges and what makes them the best candidate for the position. Responses were by telephone conversation, email and instant messaging and have been edited for space and AP style.

<h3 class="breakHead">Lane Wenzel (Democrat)</h3>

Gallatin County is not just a place on a map to me, it's my community. As a lifelong resident of Gallatin County, I learned at an early age to be a part of the change you wish to see. Junction is where I call home with my husband and two school-aged boys. We are part of a multigenerational small business, Wenzel Lumber Co. In 2005 I graduated from SIU-Carbondale with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science specializing in public service. For the past three years, I have been a part of the staff at Gallatin County Junior High. Being junior high secretary has given me the opportunity to talk with parents, not just about their children, but also the struggles they face on a daily basis. Expanding the tax basis is one of my biggest concerns. With the loss of businesses, we not only see a decrease in county revenue but also see families uprooted, having to move out of state to find gainful employment. With my husband's business, we have seen first hand the effects that COVID-19 has had on our area financially, not to mention the ripple effects that continue to be revealed. My parents and Christian upbringing helped instill the value of hard work, and I'm invested in taking the time to seek out grants and additional revenue opportunities that would help the county during these difficult times. Also, I will work to promote awareness of small business grants that are available such as the BIG (Business Interruption Grant) to help small businesses struggling currently and working with our downstate legislature to find other viable funding options. I pride myself in using a common-sense approach and plan to continue that philosophy when tackling issues in our county.

<h3 class="breakHead">David Barker (Democrat)</h3>

I'm primarily concerned with finances and revenue for the county. I want to make sure all the offices are able to provide their necessary services for county citizens. I also will look at finding grant money available to make renovations to the courthouse inside and out. I did this before, and it was a very successful program. Infrastructure within the county is also important. I'm also currently the mayor of Shawneetown, where I'm serving my fourth term.

<h3 class="breakHead">Andrew Lunsford (Republican)</h3>

I have been a resident of Gallatin county for over 16 years. I have very conservative ideas and values. I would like to see our county grow by bringing in jobs and other means of making our county money. One of the top things I'm asked about is side-by-sides for county roads. I think we need to take look at that. All other surrounding counties allow this, and it would bring some money into the county. We have some nice tourist activities in our county and surrounding counties, that by allowing them on our county roads could bring additional dollars to our county. I'll work with the other board members to make decisions for what is best for our county.

<h3 class="breakHead">Mark York (Democrat)</h3>

The single most important issue facing Gallatin County is maintaining a balanced budget in these troubled times. We want to avoid having to lay off personnel and reduce services to the public.

Flooding has always been an issue for many areas of the county and will continue to be something for which we must stay prepared.

Another issue, of course, is the COVID crisis. While our area has been less impacted than more urban locations, rates still have been rising locally of late and we have experienced some loss of life. Any loss is too much. This is a region of small towns where everybody knows everyone. Every loss is personal.

I see the economy of our county as our biggest issue and that has motivated me to serve on the budget committee of the county board for the past several years. I am proud of the fact that we, as a board, along with the support of the elected officials and courthouse staff, have been able to ride out the bumpy road of Illinois economics for the past decade. Throughout the state's budget crisis, we were able to continue operations without reducing services or staff. We were fiscally conservative before that predicament or the one brought on by the coronavirus. I want to maintain that conservative fiscal policy.

I also bring to the Board my willingness to put in the volunteer time to sit on economic development boards such as the Southeastern Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commission of which I am currently the acting chairperson. I am a member of the Delta Leadership Network, a group of government and business leaders, which has resulted in the creation of a new business in Equality for retailing the products of local artists. I am the president of the Gallatin County Tourism Committee as I believe our region has a great potential for economic growth through tourism. I also serve as a local TIF (tax increment financing) coordinator for a program that is helping many of our small municipalities pay their bills.

Since flooding is a recurring obstacle to our economy, I also involve myself in emergency services as the Coordinator of the Equality Emergency Taskforce, as a member of the Gallatin-Saline 911 Board, and as a local floodplain manager and liaison with FEMA/IEMA.

Maintaining health care services in this rural area also calls for organized efforts. I, and the other county board members, have put lots of time into providing the best ambulance services possible. I serve on the board of the Egyptian Heath Department and work for the Gallatin County Wellness Center.

I enjoyed my career as a teacher in Gallatin County and would like to spend my retirement time giving back to the county that has given me so much.