By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
The Carter County Democrats held a meet the candidates forum on Friday for their party’s candidates in the upcoming primary. Though it was a Democratic event, non-partisan candidates were also invited to speak. Non-partisan speakers included district court judge Rupert Wilhoit, family court judge Jennifer Barker-Neice, and circuit court judge Rebecca Phillips, and Grayson mayoral candidate Troy Combs – who said he was “not ashamed to say I’m a registered Democrat,” even though he was running for a non-partisan office.
Neice and Phillips both discussed the benefits of going paperless and teleconferencing during the course of the pandemic, and how those changes have continued to benefit their work going forward after the end of the public health emergency.
“We’re trying to embrace technology,” Phillips said, explaining how teleconferencing had not only improved safety during the pandemic, but saved time and money on transports.
Time was also given to county attorney Brian Bayes and property valuation administrator Leslie Kiser-Roseberry, who are running completely unopposed, as well as to Eric Ross, who is running unopposed in the primary to face incumbent sheriff Jeff May in the general election. Though their names don’t appear on the primary ballot, party chair Travis Rice said, it’s important for the party to recognize them and support them in the lead up to the general election.
Ross, during his statements, discussed plans he would seek to implement as sheriff if elected. These include ideas for a county wide community watch program, and more training for deputies so they can be more proactive in their investigations, he said.
He said he’d also like to attempt to increase patrols out in the county’s smaller communities.
“People here can tell you what is going on,” he said, if you are out in the county talking to them.
Charlie Kiser, who will be facing the winner of the Republican primary in the race for jailer, said he’s heard stories from families about the rising costs of basic items and necessities for their incarcerated loved ones. While he concedes that those in jail are there to be punished, as well as for the safety of the community, he said rising commissary costs are among the issues he’d like to look into. These particular costs, he noted, are usually shouldered by family members who don’t deserve to be punished for the mistakes of their spouses, parents, or children.
Following Kiser the party leadership discussed the various constable races – none were present to discuss their candidacy – before inviting Combs to speak.
The Grayson mayoral candidate, who is currently running unopposed, talked about how much his grandfather, Doc Webb, had loved Grayson.
“And Grayson, and Main Street, have been good to me and my family,” he said, thanking the community for their support.
Before introducing magisterial and judge executive candidates for fiscal court, Rice invited Combs mother, Senator Robin Webb, to address the crowd.
Webb, who is also running unopposed, said it was, “good to be together,” noting the importance of getting together to “talk about the issues” that elected officials need to face for their constituents. She noted that, in her district, these issues included the closure of Ashland’s steel mills, and the lack of progress on the promised aluminum mill, but said she appreciated that – because she was running unopposed – she could “continue to focus on the work” to improve the region’s economic opportunities, adding she hoped we could all, “persevere and stay hopeful.”
Fiscal Court
While the candidates for the other offices are running largely unopposed in the primary – and a few unopposed in the general election – the races for fiscal court magistrates and judge executive are more contested.
In District One both Hunter Buck and Kenny Adkins are vying for the opportunity to challenge the winner of the Republican primary for the seat currently held by Republican Chris Huddle.
Buck said if he were being honest, “I don’t know what it takes to be a magistrate,” but that 12 years ago he didn’t know what it meant to be a pipefitter. What he does know, he said, is he wants to “work for the people of District One, and all of Carter County.”
Buck’s primary opponent, Kenny Adkins, noted he was a lifelong resident of Carter County, spending all but five years of his early adulthood – when he and his wife left for work opportunities – in the county.
Adkins also discussed his time as a “proud first responder” with the Grahn and Carter City fire departments, and as treasurer for the Carter County Firefighters Association. Those roles have given him experience in dealing with the fiscal court, he said, and he would like to be on the court to make sure our first responders are taken care of so they can meet the needs of the county.
Like with roads, he said, taking care of the fire departments and ambulance service takes money, “but also takes good management,” he said.
In Districts Two and Three incumbents Morris Shearer and Jack Steele are running unopposed in the primary, but they spoke about their experience on the court nonetheless, and asked for their constituents’ support in the general election.
“I’ve been a magistrate for four years now and we’ve made some advancements,” Shearer said, but he still has work he’d like to complete. These include plans for further road improvements he’d like to see. Shearer said they’d made some progress already during his tenure, with road paving, but that he’d like to do more.
Steele echoed Shearer, emphasizing against that the court still, “have a lot of plans to implement.”
In District Four, incumbent Donnie Oppenheimer is facing a primary challenger in the form of former magistrate Clifford “Sodbuster” Roe.
While Roe didn’t show up for the event, Oppenheimer addressed the crowd about the challenges of governing during a pandemic, and the unimagined storm events of the last couple of years.
“We lost two years because of COVID, and then we had the ice storms… but we’re getting back on our feet,” he said of the county.
Judge Executive
Whoever wins the magisterial races, with judge executive Mike Malone retiring, they’ll be working with a new head of fiscal court.
There are four candidates on the ticket on the Democratic side, with three speaking on Friday night, starting with former Olive Hill police chief Bobby Hall.
“I know most of you,” Hall said.
He noted he’d, “been up every road and holler,” during his time with county and city law enforcement, and as a first responder before that. He said he knew the issues with the roads, and that they needed work. But, he said, the biggest impediment to that work was funding.
“Funding is the main problem, and that needs addressed,” Hall said.
The other issue was with the size of the county.
“We have one of the biggest counties in the state,” as far as geographic size, Hall said. That means a lot of miles of roads. It also means challenges for law enforcement, fire, and ambulance services when it comes to serving the population. Among Hall’s ideas for improving response time for vital rescue units – on top of improving the roads they must use to reach patients – was creating partnerships between the ambulance service and local fire departments to share resources and space, so that rescue vehicles could be more evenly distributed around the county, instead of clustered in Olive Hill and Grayson.
Hall also discussed jobs and other infrastructure, noting that he had some strategies for bringing more job opportunities to the area, but that as a taxpayer he, “wants to make sure he’s getting his money’s worth,” and as judge executive he would like to help make sure they are using those funds responsibly.
“There’s a whole lot I want to work on,” Hall said, but added he understood the county has, “a very little bit of money” to work with, so he’s been studying the county’s past budgets intently over the last several months.
One of the areas he said he’s noticed, where the county could be bringing in more money without burdening local taxpayers, is by implementing an export tax on natural resources like lumber, limestone, and clay taken out of the county. That tax would be paid by the outside businesses who want our natural resources. At the very least, he said, it could help pay for the damage their log trucks, rock haulers, and other heavy vehicles do on the rural roads where they are extracting those resources.
Hall was followed by his primary opponent Charles Wallace, who described himself as “self-employed” in the construction business and having “built roads and sewers all over the country.”
Wallace, who served for 12 years as judge executive before losing his seat to Mike Malone, said he knows the county’s roads and other infrastructure are bad, but that he believes most of the issues can be addressed with grant money to avoid taxing the county’s citizens. He vowed to focus on improving the roads, saying that – if elected – “the graveyard roads will be taken care of under me… and not just when we have a funeral.”
He said he would also try to come up with more money for first responders and law enforcement.
“I will find the money,” he said. “I have done it in the past and I will again.”
Dustin Howard, who is also running for judge executive in the primary, reached out to Rice before the event to let him know he couldn’t make it. That meant that the last candidate to speak on the record was Chester Highley, who will face off against Hall, Wallace, and Howard for the nomination.
Highley, who described himself as, “a better worker than a speaker,” said he would be out in the field addressing problems directly, as much as possible, because he wasn’t an inside person.
He said he has experience in the construction industry as well, and knows roads “inside and out,” including the importance of proper drainage.
“If you don’t fix the drainage, (the water) will keep eating away at the roads,” he said.
On the jobs front, while Highley said, “I’d like to tell you I could bring you a plant… I won’t lie.”
But if you improve the roads and address the flooding issues that arise from drainage problems – Highley said he could, “fix Olive Hill’s flooding and other issues with water and roads” – that makes the county more attractive to economic investors, he said.
And while he said, “grants are one way to go,” he acknowledged that sometimes, “taxes have to go up a little bit,” to make necessary improvements.
“I know it’s a poor county,” Highley said. “But it’s a good place, and we can make it a better county to live in.”
Kentucky’s primary election is in just under two weeks, on Tuesday May 17. Kentucky has a closed primary system, meaning you may only vote in the primary election for the party you are registered with. The winner of the Republican and Democratic primaries will face off in the general election in November.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
