Scott Briggs of Reading announced on Saturday that he would run for re-election to the First District seat on the Lyon County Commission.
Briggs currently is chairman of the commission.
“I had a lot of people asking me whether I was going to run again, not run again, or run for another office,” Briggs said. “I decided to just clear it up.”
Briggs said that while the county faces a tight budget, other entities — mental health, law enforcement, community corrections, Social and Rehabilitation Services, and the Lyon County Health Department, among others — likely will take heavy budget hits as a result of the shortfall in revenue collections at the state level.
He also expects the state will mandate that the county provide more assistance or services independent of state funds.
“I think it’s going to be worse,” he said. “The state, they’ve pretty much cut the county to the bone in recent years.”
Briggs mentioned several changes he considers accomplishments for his first term of office, but would not take credit for Hill’s Pet Nutrition and the Westar peaking plant. Those industries already were working with area leaders when he was elected.
“In all reality, I’m sure not going to take credit for that,” Briggs said. “I’m happy they came in while I was on the commission.”
He said he was pleased that he was able to help set up a Public Building Commission that will facilitate revenue bonds for Newman Regional Health at a significantly lower rate of interest, dropping the hospital’s bonds rate from 5.5 percent to 3.95 percent. The bonds are expected to translate to about $3.5 million in savings for the hospital.
Briggs also said he considered passing a county-wide sales tax as an accomplishment.
“I think that’s going to be good,” he said, citing lower property taxes as a plus for property-owners.
Keeping gravel on the county roads and other ongoing responsibilities that help Lyon County residents also are an important and on-going piece of a county commissioner’s job.
Briggs said that he enjoys the contact with Lyon Countians and listening to their ideas.
“I try to focus on being fair to people and listening to them. I do enjoy that part,” he said.
And, he said, sometimes what he hears from constituents causes him to reconsider his own opinion on certain issues.
“I do see where I don’t like it, but it’s probably the way we ought to go,” he said.
Tell (anonymous) says...
I think Mr Briggs has done a good job for the most part but I have called him several times and left messages at the courthouse, he has never returned a call.
February 1, 2010 at 3:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shineon (anonymous) says...
He has e-mail too...
February 1, 2010 at 8:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )