Rick Dixon, Democrat, and Scott Long, Republican, are the candidates for presiding commissioner of Texas County. Following are answers to questions provided by the Herald in their own words:

Why did you decide to run for the position? 

Long:  I decided to run for presiding commissioner after listening to all the different media outlets reporting the issues and concerns of our county. I decided I would try to make a difference and provide a positive outlook of Texas County, which has been extremely good to my family for the past 25 years.

Dixon: I was born and raised in Texas County — I’ve never lived anywhere else.  I’ve seen good times and bad times here, and in these trying times, I believe with my business and people skills that I can help make Texas County a better place to live and work. 

Discuss your background and qualifications for Texas County presiding commissioner. What are your goals as presiding commissioner over the next four years?

Dixon: I was raised on a farm near Eunice and have been involved in ag my whole life.  I graduated from Summersville High School, Reisch World Wide College of Auctioneering and have taken college-level agriculture, business and computer courses over the years.  I successfully owned and operated a dairy farm for 25 years, as well as Rick Dixon Auction Service since 1980.  I served on the Raymondville R-VII School Board for 17 years, was chair of the Texas County Extension Council, and have served on the Missouri Professional Auctioneers Association board of directors.

Through my experiences, I have learned how to deal with federal and state regulations, work with people in all stages of life, conduct effective meetings and develop positive media relations. 

My goals are to:

•Strengthen the county infrastructure — from internet access to safe roads and bridges

•Develop a long-range plan for the county with significant public input.  What do we want Texas County to be in 10 years?  What types of compatible businesses should we look to recruit? How can we help our hospital and schools? What areas need strengthening?

•Improve the public image of the county by bringing a sense of stability and unity.

Long: My background consist of 30 years as an agriculture education instructor, a farmer all of my life and a business owner for the past seven years. As an FFA instructor I taught individuals to become leaders.  Encouraged students to be involved and become quality citizens in their respectful communities. I believe I can bring the same qualities of leadership to the office of presiding commissioner to help lead this county in a positive direction.

My years of teaching as well as my experience in agriculture, allows me to have a vast understanding of the largest industry in our county – agriculture. We need leaders in this county who understand the economic impact agriculture has on our county as well as the new innovations in agriculture which will help the industry grow and prosper.

In our business, we work with federal and state regulation daily. My experience in this business will allow a better insight to the many government programs which our county must work with on a continues basis.

My goals as presiding commissioner are really quite simple. First I want to learn as much as I can about what the county can and cannot do when dealing with the state statutes. Secondly I would like to use my experience to guide the county in a way in which would be beneficial to all the citizens of Texas County. And lastly, I would like to see the people of Texas County enjoy their experience with county government. I want the citizens to feel like I did everything I could legally do to solve any issues or concerns they would have within this county.

Communication with the citizens of Texas County is important as the top administrative official in government. How will you accomplish that?

Dixon: My goal is to be as transparent as possible, and to communicate with all citizens. I plan on accomplishing this by:

•My phone number is 417-967-6604, and I return every call.

•I will have an open door policy.  I anticipate having a morning or day in the office every week whereby citizens can come in and talk with me.

•I will have an email setup where people can send me messages.

•I will continue to promote communicating through the local newspapers and radio stations.

•I will, schedule permitting, be available to groups and organizations throughout the county.

Long: I believe communication begins with listening and understanding the needs of others. To accomplish this I believe the citizens of the county must have access to elected officials. We as commissioners need to look at various times and locations where we as a group meet to provide better access for all our citizens. I also believe I must allow myself to be accessible whether it’s a Sunday afternoon or a Friday evening. Citizen concerns can’t always be expressed between 8 and 5 Monday through Friday.

What are the positive attributes of county government? What needs to be improved? 

Dixon: Our No. 1 attribute is our employees — from elected officials to maintenance staff.  In all offices they are friendly, willing to help, and are genuinely interested in the welfare of the county. Hand in hand with this is another attribute – our accessibility. You can walk in and be met by a real person.

Areas of improvement include the sheriff’s office situation, trust perceptions and communication between the public and the commission.

Long: The most positive attributes of county government I believe are the people working and serving the citizens of our county. I have been going to the courthouse to conduct business for several years in several different departments and I am always met with a friendly smile, positive attitudes and eagerness to help me with my problem. Positive experience with county government can go a long way in solving the things that I believe needs improving. We as elected officials need to help change the negative persona of our county. Positive attitudes, friendly smiles and a willingness to help all citizens will shine a positive light on our communities and our county.

Texas County has been engulfed in turmoil since the indictment and arrest of the former county sheriff and a deputy. Two civil federal lawsuits have already been filed. How will you restore trust concerning the operations of the jail, law enforcement and dispatch? 

Dixon: I believe the interim sheriff is doing a good job in restoring the trust of the people and has hired qualified deputies. To my knowledge, the dispatch is back to 911 and operating properly. I will work with the sheriff to look at positions, training and pay-scale, and to ensure that all areas of the county are responded to when needed. I will listen to recommendations from citizens, past sheriffs and employees, and other counties to see what can be done. My open door policy is not just for the public — it is for the sheriff, deputies, and any county employee who wants to work together to strengthen our operations.

Long: Trust in government is an easy thing to lose and extremely hard to restore. I believe as presiding commissioner I need to be honest and fair with people. I must build relationships with those working in law enforcement and other parts of county government. It is my job to hire who is best qualified to do the various jobs. I have to develop relationships of trust with those who recommend the individuals. So the county knows we are getting the best person for the job. If employees are not performing their duties in a manner our community can appreciate then we must work to replace those individuals. Visiting with employees in all departments will allow me to stay informed as to how things are operating. In my career I worked for several school boards that listened and followed the directive of the administrators, never asking people in the trenches how things were. To restore trust we must know what is going on in the trenches.

The Texas County Commission approves the yearly budget document for county government. How will you approach that role? What are your priorities? 

Dixon: First and foremost, the role is defined by state statute, and I will follow those regulations. This is where I believe my 38 years as an independent business owner is effective. I will look at the budget as a business – income in must equal or exceed expenses out. My priorities are to oversee the county real estate, county property and county operations.

Long: The budget process begins in January with each department submitting their request. I believe we should review requests, evaluate the need, and make decisions on budget items based on what will be the most beneficial to the county. I did not decide to seek the office because I had priorities of how the money should be spent. I believe tax dollars should be spent to provide the greatest return for the county. As commissioner I must take the time to make the investments that give the county the greatest return.

Texas County’s last two audit reports — conducted by two different state auditors —proclaimed the county’s operations as poor. Do you agree?

Dixon: As an outsider looking in, it seems to me that the county offices are being run as they should be by dedicated people. However, there’s always room for improvement and innovation. We need to look at the auditor’s recommendations, office by office, meet with the staff and see where we can implement realistic comments.

Long: I believe if we as a county are not tracking tax dollars in an appropriate manner, we need to be. As a commissioner, you are put in a position of trust and we need to be able to show every taxpayer the amount of money we received as well as how we decided to spend it. It must be documented correctly. Poor audits do not always mean poor money management. It could mean the different departments of the county do things differently than the state auditor thinks they should be done. I believe we as a county should look into the problems of the past and improve upon them. We must rebuild the trust in county government.

The county’s 17 townships oversee road and bridge maintenance. Would you keep the current system in place, look to consolidate some townships or work to eliminate it? 

Dixon: My mother was Ozark Township collector for 36 years, so I am very familiar with township government. I believe, if run properly, the township form of government will work. This is the system we have, and I will work closely with the townships.  It is not up to the commissioners to eliminate townships — that is a decision and action of the citizens of the county. I believe in small government and that people should be involved at the local level.

Long: We need government as close to the people as possible. Keeping all 17 townships in place allows residents of the county to have access to board members who are their neighbors. They can easily voice their concerns and issues get resolved much quicker. I have seen the effects of county control in our neighboring counties.  It is wonderful for some people and horrible for others. Those individuals who are politically connected have nice roads while common, hard working individuals who do not have connections get left out.  With the size of Texas County we do not need this. I will work hard to make sure every citizen has a voice and I believe our current system is the best way to provide that voice.