Hank Redford seeks commission seat

County government is at the heart of state government, Hank Redford said, and needs to be paid good attention.

Longtime Elmore County resident, Redford has thrown his hat into the ring with an announcement of his candidacy for the Board of Elmore County Commissioners for District 1, the seat currently held by Craig McCurry.

Redford has been a resident of Elmore County since 1976, operating an electrical contracting business for more than 16 years. His children have all been in the Mountain Home school system and he has been a strong supporter of youth programs, including 4-H, Optimist Rodeo and even sponsored a soccer team.

Currently with Commonwealth Associates, an engineering group dealing with public utilities, Redford is serving the Boise and Mountain Home district in project management, dealing primarily with the underground distribution. While he stresses he is not an engineer, he oversees projects, dealing primarily with Idaho Power contractors.

After 11 years serving on the county's planning and zoning commission, Redford feels he is already familiar with many of the issues facing the county. He explained that while most issues before P&Z are land use related, members of the commission are responsible for the intelligent, orderly development of the county-- giving equal consideration to the property rights of everyone and providing employment opportunities for the area.

An expanding tax base benefits everyone in the county, he said, and points to recent decisions by P&Z as opening up more employment opportunities. The two CAFOs, the power plant, and the water bottling company in Hammett all will provide jobs for Elmore County residents.

Water issues are the biggest holdback to industry in Elmore County, he noted. Redford serves on the Mountain Home Groundwater Advisory Subcommittee for Domestic Water as members try to develop a plan for domestic water users. County leaders need to be planning for the future, he said. They need the foresight to look ahead while learning from the past. Working closely with the association of Idaho cities will allow leaders to bounce information off one another, to learn what the problems are, and possibly preventing them from happening here, he said.

Redford emphasized that he is not in favor of raising taxes. He noted funds are already being set aside, allowing the county to save and invest in its future. If the county can afford to do that, there is no need to raise taxes, he said. After serving on the last committee to float a bond issue for a new jail, Redford wishes to see the county continue to pursue a new facility.

While he has always "had a liking for county government," Redford says he has no intention of using the seat as a stepping stone for higher office, but hopes to guide the county into the future.