Republican files for seat on county commission
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 02:40 p.m., June 9, 2008
Updated 02:40 p.m., June 9, 2008
Experience in business and leadership are the primary assets that Roland Martin said he would bring to the job if he is elected to fill the Third District seat on the Lyon County Commission.
Martin, a Republican, filed by fee on Wednesday for the seat currently occupied by Bob Davis of Olpe. Davis does not plan to run for re-election.
Martin operates a farm near Hartford and also custom feeds Holstein dairy heifers. He is serving his fourth term as a member of the Southern Lyon County board of education and is an alumnus of the Kansas Agriculture Rural Leadership program.
It is that business and leadership experience that he would call on to help make decisions as a county commissioner.
“I don’t have any specific issues, other than just wanting to see that our area of the county gets represented by good leadership and maintain what we have and try to improve on it,” Martin said. “Change has always got to happen. You’ve got to change with the times. ... (We) just have to be positive and make all the necessary changes that can and will happen.”
He said he would need to become more familiar with the needs of the county before deciding what changes need to be made.
“I’d rather listen and learn and then make the changes, because I don’t feel I have enough knowledge of what goes on to just come out and say I’m going to do this and that,” Martin said. “I prefer to learn and evaluate and then make the change if it’s needed.
Martin said that he views the one-cent sales tax recommended by the county commission as an equitable means of raising money.
“I think it is a good and fair way of creating some capital for the county, the city, and small towns in Lyon County,” Martin said. “It also could create some property tax relief when the commissioners go to figure up the budget, which will be benefit to people who own property and cars and everything else.”
Martin is a member of the St. Joseph parish in Olpe, the Knights of Columbus and the Lyon County Farm Bureau. He and his wife, Rosemary, are parents of four grown children and have seven grandchildren.
jayhawker (anonymous) says...
Anyone who serves four terms on a school board (no pay, many demands) has my respect. Good luck, Roland.
June 10, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )