Local News
Commissioner Candidates Offer Perspectives on County Issues
Apr 30, 2008 - 12:01 PM

Two Republican candidates have filed to run for the upcoming available position of Polk County Commissioner District III and will be on the ballot for the Primary Election on May 13, 2008. The office will be vacated by Dennis Hendricks.
According to Debbie Girard, Polk County Clerk, the Polk County Commissioner position is the only one contested in the Primary Election at the local level.  
LeRoy Gerrard and Patrick Powell, both of Stromsburg, are the local candidates vying for the County Commissioner District III office. The winner in the Primary Election will be the Republican candidate printed on the General Election ballot in November, 2008.
The Polk County News provided each of the candidates with a questionnaire regarding county issues in order to offer their opinions to voters in this area. Their individual views, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:     

 LeRoy G. Gerrard
1.  Please give some background information about yourself such as family members, education, job history, how long you have lived in Polk County, etc.
I was born and raised on a farm north of Schuyler. In 1957, I graduated from Schuyler High School and enlisted in the Army in 1959. After my active service in the Army, I was employed by the Nebraska Department of Roads as an engineer’s aide, working on the Interstate while it was being built in downtown Omaha. During that time, I took four years of civil engineering courses.
Grace and I were married in 1962 and we have three children and six grandchildren. We lived in Omaha and Columbus during my employment with the State Department of Roads. In 1965 we moved to Central City where I was employed by Merrick County as the highway superintendent. In 1970 I became county surveyor.
In 1973, our family moved to Polk County and I became Polk County highway superintendent and county surveyor.
In 1985, I joined an engineering consulting firm as office manager of the York, Nebraska, branch office. Through this firm I worked with several counties and cities as county surveyor and highway and street superintendent until my retirement in 2007. I am very familiar with the governmental budgeting process. I continue to work part-time in the office in York.
2. Please list any organizations that you belong to and your involvement in these organizations.
I am an active member of the Stromsburg Salem Lutheran Church and a past church council member. I am a member and present Commander of American Legion Post #132. I am also a member and past president of Professional Surveyors Association of Nebraska and the County Highway Superintendents, Engineers & Surveyors. I was a ten-year member and past president of the Stromsburg Library Board and I’m currently the chairman of the Stromsburg Library Foundation.
3. Why are you seeking the office of County Commissioner?
Based on my years of experience, I think I could make a difference. I have worked with county boards since 1965. I know a lot about the workings of county government. I would always gather as much information as possible and look at all sides of an issue before making a decision.
4. What type of economic development could you foresee in the future of Polk County and how could you as a commissioner help promote economic development?
Polk County economic development needs a good shot in the arm. A big plus for us would be the Highway 81 four-lane expressway getting completed. I have been working with the Nebraska Department of Roads for several years on the Highway 81 project. I have been involved with the Pan American Highway 81 Association. The completion of the expressway would encourage businesses to locate here. As a commissioner, I would do all within my power and knowledge to help our towns work together for economic development and I would try to support and encourage the county’s existing businesses.
5. What issues do you see impacting our county in the next few years?
With our population decreasing, I see major budget issues coming up. Rising fuel prices have an impact on everyone, including the county. At the same time, it is becoming harder to get federal aid for roads, bridges, etc. For this reason it is very important to promote economic development – find a way to attract new businesses, make Polk County a place where people will want to live and raise their family.
6. Please add any other information which you would like the public to know about you.
I have been a resident of Polk County for 35 years. I know this county very well. I have worked with the road and bridge department and I have also been involved with the other county offices in the courthouse. I have the time and experience to serve if the voters so choose.

Patrick Powell
1. Please give some background information about yourself such as family members, education, job history, how long you have lived in Polk County, etc.
Connie, McKenna, and I moved to Stromsburg in June of 2000. In June of 2002 our son Owen joined the family. I started attending City Council meetings almost immediately after moving to town and was appointed to the City Council in June of 2001. I have since tried to stay involved in many organizations in order to give back to the community in which we live. We truly enjoy living here in Polk County and have great friends here. We are regular attendees at Evangelical Free Church in Stromsburg. McKenna attends school at Cross County and Owen attends pre-school in Polk. Connie is practicing Dental Hygiene in Columbus. I am employed with a custom feeder outside of Stromsburg.
2. Please list any organizations that you belong to and your involvement in these organizations.
Stromsburg City Council 2001– Present
Past and present Council President
Stromsburg Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce Board
Past Chamber President
Polk County Regional Water Committee
Polk County Economic Development Corporation
3. Why are you seeking the office of County Commissioner?
I have been on the Stromsburg City Council for 7 years and would like to be more involved in County Government. We have a county that is rich in resources (talented hard working bright people, successful farming and cattle industry, a rail system that runs through the county, proximity to Interstate 80, and the Highway 81 corridor just to name a few) we need a Commissioner that will promote those positive attributes about our county and try to bring responsible and positive business to the County thus making us stronger as a county.
The Highway 81 project was part of a Legislative Bill that was passed in 1988. We still have not seen completion on this project. The Highway 81 project is a concern for me in that we have three communities that have an elevated amount of traffic going through them and I see it as a danger to the citizens of our county. I also see the completion of the highway 81 project as a way for our communities to grow and benefit as a result of completing this project. I would like to lend assistance where I can to move this project forward before there is no Federal money left to finish the highway 81 project.
The County Commissioners position is a difficult one in that I will need to be able to understand the needs of the citizens living in the rural areas, in addition to the needs of the citizens living in the communities of Polk and Stromsburg. I would very much like to hear from the constituents in the district so I can understand more and do more if I am able. I want to stay involved in Stromsburg and become involved in Polk. It is disappointing when we don’t see or hear from our elected officials until it is election time.
As I see it we need to find thoughtful and positive ways to increase the amount of residents in our county to help with the tax burden. Items across the board are going up in price, the more residents and proactive business we have to split up the bill the easier it will be on all of our pocket books.
We need to run the County Government like a business and you the Tax Payer are the investors. I would like to see if we could find ways to have the counties business activities be more efficient. I would also like to continue to be involved in the Polk County regional water committee, the Polk County Economic Development Corporation and regularly attend the city council and village board meetings. In my opinion this would benefit the communities of Polk and Stromsburg by keeping the other commissioner’s abreast of happenings in the communities and the rural area surrounding Polk and Stromsburg. Staying involved in the Polk County regional water committee, and the Polk County Economic Development Corporation would represent District 3 on these committees. I have other ideas and thoughts but I want to know your thoughts and concerns as well, as an elected official I work for you and the best interest of the County.
4. What type of economic development could you foresee in the future of Polk County and how could you as a commissioner help promote economic development?
It is not unreasonable to foresee some very good things happen in Polk County with economic development, as I said we have the talent, resources and location to be successful in recruiting responsible business to Polk County. We need to be very thoughtful in what we want to peruse and what paths we want to follow, as an example. Lexington is a fine community but they chose to go down a path that I am not sure we would want to follow and have in that type of industry in our communities.
I would continue to promote economic development as I have by continuing to be a member of the Polk County Economic Development Corporation. I would continue to talk to the community and county economic development coordinators from other places to find out what works for them also ask what has not worked and why it has not worked. I look at economic development, as not only bringing new business in to our area but also helping the current business’s to continue to be healthy and grow if they desire. I get excited about economic development because as I see it if it’s done right everybody wins.
5. What issues do you see impacting our county in the next few years?
We could see many issues coming in the next few years. We have various road projects including the Highway 81 project that needs to be addressed. The Federal Government continues to bring more regulations and non-funded mandates to the communities. We will continue to see lower acceptable levels of containments allowed in our water as technology progresses and testing can be done at a finer scale all the time. Fuel costs continue to rise, thus making in more expensive to maintain the roads. Insurance costs are not holding and continue to rise as well, we will need to be thoughtful on how we combat that rising cost without short changing the employees of the county.
6. Please add any other information which you would like the public to know about you.
In being involved with the Stromsburg City Council I know how important it is to maintain a balanced budget and how sometimes it is difficult in working with restricted funds, in addition to State and Federal regulations. When dealing with State and Federal regulations we don’t have much choice in complying with those regulations but we sometime need to be creative in how we comply. For example the Polk County Regional Water Committee is working on solutions for the arsenic or other contaminates found in our drinking water, we know if we can find a solution that works for everybody it will be cheaper than working alone. If we work together as a team to move forward in a thoughtful manner we will be successful together. I will work hard for the citizens of Polk County if given the chance. Please consider Pat Powell on May 13th.

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