Iliff, Vance seeking nomination

Two Republicans vying for the District 3 Jay County Council seat recognize that balancing the budget will be the major issue during the next four years.

"The biggest one is going to be the tax, the amount of property tax we receive versus what the budget and so forth is," said Robert "Bob" Vance.

"How our tax dollars are spent and how we can work with things better on how they're spent and what they're spent on," said Mark Iliff, of the biggest issue facing the council.

The primary will decide the Republican candidate for the District 3 seat currently held by Democrat Fred Bailey, who is not seeking re-election. No Democrat filed for the primary, but the party will have an opportunity to slate a candidate before the November election.

The Jay County Council is already asking department heads to slice their budgets another 10 percent off this year's figures and council members will need to maintain a strict eye on spending in the coming years.

Vance, the owner of Indoor Comfort by Vance, served as part of the Portland City Council for eight years in the 1980s. He has also served as a member of the Portland Planning Commission, and trustee, finance committee member and church board member at Asbury United Methodist Church.

He is a graduate of Portland High School and holds a bachelor's of science degree from Tri-State University. Except for when attending school, Vance is a lifetime Jay County resident.

Iliff, a 20-year employee of Portland Forge, formerly worked in corrections for the county, but has held no public offices.

He graduated from Portland High School and served in the Army. After the service, he received education and became a journeyman electrician. Except for his time in the armed forces, Iliff is also a lifetime county resident.

In the goal of controlling the county budget in the future, Vance noted a few areas that may be considered, while Iliff said he would need to get his hands into the budgets before identifying areas to create savings.

"All the departments just need to take a look at each individual item and see where they can trim," Vance said. "You've got personnel but you never really like to talk about cutting personnel. But that might be a necessary evil if it comes down to it."

"Not at this time," said Iliff when asked if he could identify some potential avenues for creating savings in the budget, stating that he will familiarize himself with the budget quickly if elected.

County council president Gerald Kirby, in past meetings, has mentioned the possibility of raising the county's Local Option Income Tax to help cover shortfall in the budget. Neither candidate ruled the possibility out, but both said they would need to be a part of serious discussion on the topic.

"Nobody likes to see any increases in taxes, but it may come down to it," Vance said. "I'm not saying I'd be in favor of it. I'm not saying I'd be against it. But you have to look at both sides of the fence."

"You're going to have to look at it from all angles before you say yes or no," Iliff said. "I'd prefer not to keep crunching them any more than needs to be because people are barely making it with their wages and the taxes the way it is."

As for their motivation for running for the seat, Vance said he hopes to return to government and be available for the public.

"I feel like I'll have some time that I can work with the people," he said. "I'm just willing to serve and help the people out and it would be a pleasure to get their support."

Iliff hopes that he will be able to bring a new viewpoint to the position despite his lack of experience.

"Sometimes things get locked in because it's run the same way over and over," he said. "Put a fresh face into it and it sometimes gives a little bit better perspective."[[In-content Ad]]