District 3 commissioner is a 3-way race
Staff writer
Republican Clarke Dirks and Democrat Randy Eitzen will be on the ballot for 3rd District county commissioner.
After being nudged off the ballot by Dirks during a low-turnout primary, current commissioner Randy Dallke filed an affidavit of write-in candidacy.
Who will win the three-way race may not be known until after ballots are canvassed Nov. 15. On election night, write-in votes will be counted but not sorted by name.
Dallke, a commissioner for 20 years, said he wants a 3rd District commissioner who will listen to both sides of an issue.
He also wants to see projects begun during his time on the commission, such as hiring a county administrator, continue to progress.
He thinks it’s important to have someone on the commission who remembers things that have been tried in the past and why those efforts did, or did not, work out.
Eitzen says he’s running because he wants to make change in the county.
“I just feel there are many things that need to be changed in Marion County,” Eitzen said. “There’s been much corruption in government, pretty much in all the phases of it.”
When he decided to run for office, he couldn’t decide whether to run for commission or sheriff, he said.
Former Sheriff June Jost did a better job than current sheriff Jeff Soyez because Jost used his head. Eitzen said.
But, he said, “I decided I could possibly do the most good running for county commissioner.”
Dirks didn’t talk about corruption but thinks commissioners need to do a better job listening to people.
“I felt it was time our county had more transparency and openness,” Dirks said. “There are quite a few people I’ve talked to that don’t feel they have been listened to.”
Dirks said one of his primary goals was to get people involved with what goes on in the county.
“I see a lot of commissioners have their minds made up on issues from the get go,” he said. “While they’re entitled to their opinions, sometimes they need to do a better job of looking at all sides.”
Eitzen said that corruption and a lackadaisical attitude among many county residents make him want to see people step up and be more vocal about what they want to see.
Too many do nothing about it, he said.
“You just have to do what you can,” Eitzen said. “I think the biggest thing is, we need to get people involved, not have the attitude, ‘Let someone else do it.’”
Dirks agrees that people need to get involved.
“The one thing I want to accomplish is to have people’s voices heard,” he said. “Everybody in this county deserves to have their voices heard.”
While he would be one of five commissioners and can’t accomplish things by himself, Dirks said he would listen to both sides and do what seems to be best for most people concerned.
“The biggest thing I can do is talk to people and make them aware of what is going on and let them know I encourage them to step up and make a difference,” Dirks said.
Both Eitzen and Dirks are opposed to wind farms. Eitzen voiced opposition and filed lawsuits over the original development of Sunflower Wind farm.
Dirks has voiced opposition to the wind farm’s plan to expand westward.
Eitzen said wind farms were not really “green energy” because it takes more energy to produce wind turbines than the turbines produce in their lifetimes.
“I think they’re a terrible eyesore and a possible health threat,” Eitzen said. “The people who live in the area, we shouldn’t subject them.”
Dirks said he thought wind farms weren’t economically viable.
“If it wasn’t for federal subsidies and tax rebates, they wouldn’t exist,” he said.
Eitzen said he was glad when Dirks won in the Republican primary because the two candidates have similar views.
“I would feel very comfortable endorsing him because he has the same outlook I have,” Eitzen said. “You do have to remember the main reason I ran was to try to make things better. Whether I win the election or whether someone with my same views wins makes no difference.”
Dirks contends he’s not a politician.
“I never intended to be a politician,” Dirks said. “I just care about the direction this county’s going. I just want to see the rural group of this community continue.”
It would be good for the county to look at processes it puts people through, Dirks said.
“We need to take a hard look at how we’re spending our tax dollars,” he said. “We can’t just continue to keep raising our taxes.”