Parr, Leonhard to meet again

Twelve years later, two Republicans are heading for a rematch.
Faron Parr and Mike Leonhard, who ran against each other in the 2004 primary for county commissioner, will meet again May 3 for the GOP nomination for the north district seat.
In their original match-up, Parr edged Leonard by 34 votes to deny him a third term. Now Leonhard is seeking to return the favor while Parr seeks a fourth term.
The winner will advance to the general election against Democrat Bob Franks Jr., who is uncontested in the primary.
Leonhard, who graduated from Portland High School in 1966, is a self-employed contractor. He was a commissioner from 1997 through 2004 and is in his third term on county council. He serves on the Jay County Chamber of Commerce board and is a member of the Optimist Club, American Legion, Portland Moose Lodge and the VFW.
Parr, a 1982 graduate of Jay County High School, owns Advanced Seal Technology in Bryant and Progressive Office Products in Portland. He has been a commissioner since 2005 and also serves as a board member for Jay County Development Corporation, Jay County Chamber of Commerce, Portland Economic Development Corporation and Bryant Industrial Development Corporation.
Leonhard criticized the current group of commissioners, saying they aren’t putting in the time necessary to lead the county.
Commissioners met on Monday mornings, took a break and returned to meet again in the afternoon during his years in office, he said.
Rather than adjourning around noon, as they now do, commissioners should be available longer and/or use time in the afternoon to visit the county departments, drive the roads and inspect ditches, Leonhard said.
“I think they’ve kind of let that slide,” he said. “I decided to run for commissioner again because I think the people of Jay County deserve better. The commissioners are elected by the people of Jay County to take care of Jay County.
“I’m going to try and bring good government back to Jay County.”
Parr placed his focus on flooding, emphasizing the need for a long-term plan that is updated on a regular basis.
He noted that there was once a 15-year flood control plan in place, but that it expired in 2002 and was not updated or passed on as new officials took office. He promised to review the study currently being done by engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert, do everything possible to alleviate flooding issues and make sure that the problem does not get forgotten.
“We’re done kicking the can down the street,” said Parr. “Every time it floods we think, ‘Phew, we’re not going to have that again for another hundred years.’ And then it turns around and comes back.
“I want to get something done where there’s a commitment from the county where we have some kind of money earmarked toward that.
“It’s not going to be cheap. It’s going to be expensive.
“Let’s find out what kind of commitment we can all afford and live with and stick to it. That’s what I want to see is the long-term commitment, every year.”
Leonhard agreed that flooding is a problem, but said he’s concerned that there may be no solution when there is record rainfall as was the case last summer. In the long run, he said, the county will have to decide how much money it is willing to spend in order to try to solve the problem.
The candidates expressed differing views on the county’s general fund budget, which needed $500,000 out of the rainy day fund in order to balance this year.
Parr was an advocate for bringing in Greg Guerrettaz of Financial Solutions Group to study the budget and make suggestions on how to save and/or generate revenue. It is important to get an opinion from an expert because of the complexities of county finances, he said.
“He points out which departments are doing the best job and collecting the most money and which ones don’t, which ones could be doing a little more and which ones are doing quite a bit,” said Parr. “He breaks it down, I think, to where it’s more easy to understand. … Unless you deal with it all the time, it is a lot to understand.”
Leonhard, the current council president, was against hiring Guerrettaz and said doing so amounts to telling the county’s elected officials they are not doing their jobs. He would have preferred for council and the department heads to handle the issues on their own.
“When it comes to the budget, that’s what the office holders are there for,” he said. “If we ask them to cut 10 percent, they’ll cut 10 percent.”
When pressed on the situation — some departments made cuts while others made none when council asked them to do so in September — Leonhard said council needs to take a hard-line approach.
“I think the council needs to do it like this — if you don’t cut your budget, we’re going to have to lay some people off,” he said. “I think that’s the easiest way of looking at it, because we can’t keep dipping out of the rainy day fund. It’s nice we have it, but one of these days the rainy day fund won’t be there.”
Both candidates said they are proud of the state of Jay County’s roads and that there is a need for balance on the issue of confined feeding operations.
Parr supports the actions the commissioners have taken in those areas by prioritizing stone roads to be converted to hard surfaces when money becomes available and naming a study commission to come up with suggestions for changes to the county’s confined feeding ordinance.
Leonhard called for a focus on road upkeep and converting stone roads if extra money becomes available, and expressed concerns about farmers who build CFOs near other homes but do not live on site.
Leonhard touted his years of experience in county government as the top item on his list of qualifications for office. He likes to be involved in what’s going on in Jay County and will be straightforward with its residents, he said.
“I care about the county,” he said. “I want Jay County to be strong. I want it to be a place to live in.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m going to look at it, and I’m going to call a spade a spade. That’s just the way it is.”
Parr also leaned on his record, emphasizing the changes he helped make to Jay County Solid Waste Management District that have helped its cash balance grow from $66,000 in 2010 to nearly $5 million.
He cited his efforts to fix problems with Jay County Regional Sewer District as well, saying he’s been able to make tough decisions while also working together with others toward the goal of making Jay County better.
“I think without a doubt I’m the most qualified for being versatile in any and all areas. I can’t think of one problem we’ve faced as a county that I couldn’t be an asset to solving the problem,” he said. “I’m willing to, and my heart’s in it to do it. I mean, Jay County’s my home. I love this place.”