Race pits Franks against Leonhard

One candidate has nearly two decades of experience in county government. The other has never held elected office.
Democrat Robert Franks Jr. and Republican Mike Leonhard are vying for north district Jay County Commissioners seat.
The winner will replace current Jay County Commissioners president Faron Parr, who Leonhard defeated in May’s GOP primary.
Franks, a Bryant resident and retired Portland Forge supervisor, is looking to hold elected office for the first time.
His foray into local government is driven by two motives, serving others and resolving the county’s flooding issues.
“The people. It’s about the people,” said Franks, a 1960 Portland High School graduate.
Leonhard, a self-employed contractor, previously served from 1997 to 2004 as a commissioner and is currently in his third term on county council.
He touted that experience as one of his qualifications.
“I think I can make Jay County a little better. I know the roads, I know the entities of Jay County,” said Leonhard, a 1966 Portland High School graduate. “The biggest thing, I know the ditches like the back of my hand and everything. I just think I can make a positive (impact) on Jay County.”
Both candidates recently sat down for individual interviews with The Commercial Review. A synopsis of their views on key issues follows.
••••••••••
Flooding
For Franks, flooding is the most important issue facing the county.
“This is money. This is lost money,” he said. “Lost money to the county, for taxpayers, for their residence, to the farmers, to the business owners.”
For him, the flooding issues stem from neglect of area rivers, specifically the Salamonie River.
His solution is three-pronged. He would like debris cleaned out of the Salamonie and Wabash rivers, ditches and side ditches, a survey of the river completed and beautification of both rivers.
He proposed a “river day,” where volunteers and officials come together to help clean the river.
Franks seemed skeptical of a detention plan to alleviate flooding from Millers Branch.
“It’s not going to solve the problem if you don’t get the rivers clean and the ditches clean,” he said, adding that it would just lay vacant in dry years.
“But what are you going to do with that when it sits there and nothing happens?”
Franks indicated that moving forward with the detention plan would depend on cost.
Leonhard is in favor of going forward to the detention plan, which was proposed in July by engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Suefert.
However, he said there is no “quick fix” to the flooding problems and added flooding might be inevitable at times.
“When you get a 5-inch rain and turn around and get another 5-inch rain on it, no matter what it is, you’re going to have water problems,” he said.

Budget
When it comes to county finances, Franks wants transparency.
“It’s their money you are spending, it’s not your money,” he said, referring to taxpayers.
He would like to create a preventative maintenance program to keep track of county equipment, such as trucks, to know when they may need work or replacement.
Regarding employee pay, Franks isn’t opposed to across-the- board wage increases but stressed the need to continue to reward employees based on their years of service.
“You want to keep these guys that are good,” he said, adding he would like to see bonus pay implemented.
Leonard is in favor of across-the-board wages for employees. When it comes to county finances, he emphasized the importance of not losing businesses in the county as well as bringing more infrastructure into Jay County to increase its tax base.
Leonhard is currently a member of the county personnel committee. He is in favor of having that committee be active in reviewing issues regarding employee pay, classification and benefits.

Roads
Both candidates agree that stone roads should be transitioned to hard surface,
Roads rank at top of county priorities, Leonhard said.
“It’d be nice to pave every road in the county but the problem of it is you don’t have the money to maintain them," he added.
He would like to see the county pave roads when it can and focus on taking care of converted roads.
Franks also noted the expense of paving, but echoed similar sentiments on the need to convert roads.
“We need to finish up whatever gravel roads we got. We need to finish them out,” he said.

Confined feeding
On confined feeding, Leonhard expressed approval with the proposed changes in zoning regulations that have been developed in a two-year process to alter them.
Down the road, he said he would like issues regarding property values and wells to be looked at in regard to CFOs.
Franks discussed the smell that operations emit from manure.
“If you didn’t have any smell, I don’t think you’d have a problem with anything,” he said.
However, he’s not sure how much setback lengths can affect smell. He stressed that operators have to consider their neighbors and be respectful.
He also noted that it’s important for commissioners to respond to complaints on CFOs and go out and get a grasp of the reported issues.
••••••••••
Issues aside, both candidates stressed that the job as commissioner extends outside weekly meetings.
“I don’t think a commissioner ought to sit on a chair. I think he needs to get out and see what’s going with his county,” said Franks.
He said he’s heard from residents that commissioners aren’t communicating with the public enough.
“They don’t go out and see the people and they don’t answer the people, because when you ask them a question, a lot of times they won’t tell ya. They won’t even talk to ya,” Franks said.
If elected, Leonhard plans to be work closely with all facets of county government.
“I’m going to be a hands-on commissioner,” he said. “If they’re doing something, I’m going to be there. I’m not going to be sitting behind a desk.”