Brown announces for commissioner

Jay B. Brown, 42, a rural Elmore County resident, has announced his candidacy for the District #2 Elmore County Commissioner Seat.

He will run as a Republican and face incumbent Commissioner Larry Rose in the May primary election.

Brown has been a resident of Elmore County for the past 34 years and lived in rural Elmore County 24 of those years.

A graduate of Mountain Home High School, Brown attended the University of Idaho and Boise State University. He began farming with his father in 1980 and in 1987 purchased a small farm of his own. Brown also has a commercial truck that he runs hauling potatoes in the spring and fall.

Brown and his wife, Christine, have two small children who are active in the various Parks and Recreation activities and sports.

He said that he and his wife are strong supporters of getting children involved in positive activities early on in their lives.

"We have a great Parks and Rec Department in Mountain Home and I encourage parents to get involved in the activities they offer," he said.

He said the decision to run "was an extremely difficult one to make. I have been considering it for the past two years and decided that if I don't run I would regret not doing so.

"My decision was made even more difficult in that I had to resign from my full-time job with the State of Idaho before even running for the office." Brown worked for the Idaho Department of Transportation, Port of Entry, for the past twelve years. ITD policy mandates that employees cannot run for or hold partisan offices.

"My new job is getting out and speaking to the citizens in our county, learning more about the issues affecting the county, and what can be done to make it an even better place to live. I have worked for the people of our state for 12 years and I plan to continue working for them, but in a much more involved capacity.

"Being able to communicate with people and then making a wise decision based on experience and common sense is a big part of being a commissioner. I plan to work hard and do a good job for the Elmore County citizens.

"I think it's my time to see if I can make a difference in office."

He said that he considers himself a "people person. It's my strong suit."