When discussing the countys budgetary priorities, Allen County Commissioner John Brocker is fond of pulling out his wallet. This is the way I look at it, Brocker said, holding his calfskin prop aloft at a recent town hall meeting, you pull out your billfold [as a commissioner] and you say, Would I spend that money in my everyday life or wouldnt I spend that money? …Youve got to analyze what youre getting for what youve given, and thats how I make my decisions as county commissioner.
Nearly 10 people gathered under the roof of the Iola Community Theater earlier this week for a forum with Brocker in advance of the Aug. 7 primary, which pits the incumbent Brocker against Iolan Bruce Symes for the Republican nomination in the countys District 3 commission seat. Brocker was appointed to the seat by Republican precinct members in March after the resignation of former commissioner Jim Talkington. Talkington was one of those in attendance at Tuesdays town hall. The winner of the August primary will face Democratic candidate Steven Henderson in the November election.
TUESDAYS forum was an affable, digressive conversation among like-minded voters, a lazy river of chat that wound round subjects as various as county roads (We need to get the roads back up, said Brocker.), the state of the local hospital (We need to turn its image around.), the merits of county-generated economic development assistance, property taxes (I own a lot of property in Allen County and I pay a lot of property tax, so Im concerned that the taxpayer gets his money.), the job satisfaction of county employees (Brocker wants to generate a survey to test just that), and, lastly, the future jobs picture in Allen County given the regions dwindling population.
As with most open forums, this one never really plunged very deeply into any one issue, but, because Brocker insisted on staying put until each and every question had been answered, the discussion managed to limn many of the primary topics on voters minds.
Brocker did, however, dilate on one issue in particular: the importance of not only keeping industry in the county Monarch Cement, Gates Manufacturing, B&W Trailer Hitches, etc. but of recruiting new industrial jobs that pay better than the current wage rates.
When asked by a man in the audience what the commision, working in conjunction with the various municipal bodies, would do to improve the countys housing stock so as to attract the attention of outside industry, Brocker rejected the premise. Its the other way around, explained the commissioner. Housing is the second step. First, you have to bring in industry that pays $20 or $30 an hour, he said. Then youve got people that can afford to have a house built.
At one point during the town hall, former commissioner Talking-ton asked Brocker to spell out the differences between him and his opponent. Youre both Republican but are you more conservative than Bruce [Symes]? Talkington asked. Would you attribute your business background as being a plus?
Brocker took a swing at the second part of Talkingtons query. My company [Allen County Realty] has been in business for over 38 years, said Brocker, who then went on to list the number of professional boards on which hes served. The primary lesson hes absorbed from his years in the real estate business a lesson driven home most acutely, perhaps, in 2008, when the bottom fell out of the housing market is that an organization, especially a governmental organization like the county, should make certain that it is maintaining a sufficient reserve. My main thing, said Brocker, is that you have to have a little cushion over here, because events can turn, and they do turn, and they turn fast. Youve got to be prepared.
This fits with Brock-ers philosophy, which states that the role of a commissioner is first and foremost to be a steward of the county. Nothing more, nothing less.
Like Ive told everybody, concluded Brock-er, Im not here for a lifetime job. If I can get a few things cleaned up, Ill be gone, you can have another commissioner. But things have got to get cleaned up. And thats why Im here.
