By HOLLY GASKILL
Looking at this past year and Wells County’s future, Commissioner President Jeff Stringer expressed his desire to continue investing in future growth while maintaining a commitment to the taxpayer’s investment.
A large part of which, he said, begins with the diverse opinions of people who are willing to push Wells forward and the partnership of the county, Bluffton and towns.
In the annual State of the County address Wednesday, Stringer referenced changes with commissioner-appointed boards, where he says more diverse opinions have been encouraged and boards have taken a more active role in their respective groups. He specifically cited the Board of Health, which has filled its long-time vacancy.
Stringer also recognized the tumultuous time the Health Department experienced this last year, with turnover in three full-time positions within the small department. He commended Marlene Hoag for keeping the Health Department afloat. Hoag returned from the position she had retired from not even a year prior and remained with the department for over seven months. “She bailed us out,” Stringer said, adding that Public Health Nurse Lynn Blevins was a “rock” for the department.
However, Springer stated that the county is “not done” with developments at the Health Department, and referenced the impending confirmation of the recent board-appointed new health officer, Dr. Brandon Huggins. The item is on the commissioners’ agenda for its meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday.
In addition to board responsibility, Stringer expressed his desire for more accountability with organizations receiving county funding.
“If you take money from the taxpayer, you owe it back to the taxpayer to have a plan for where the money’s going — a clear plan,” Stringer stated.
Stringer then commended the efforts of the Regional Sewer District, which he said has opened up opportunities for the county to grow into new areas. He also highlighted Wells County Jail renovations and the new highway garage as significant developments in county infrastructure.
Even so, Stringer recognized there are significant obstacles to overcome — multiple key county roles have experienced turnover in the last year, the county engineer position remains vacant and there’s a critical need for firefighters.
He also emphasized the lack of youth remaining in the community, saying he wants to increase the amount of quality jobs and housing available. In doing so, Stringer referenced his children who have settled elsewhere.
“I would love to see them here,” Stringer said. “I’ve lived all over. I stayed in Wells County because there’s something different. I love raising my children here. It’s a great community based in faith. It’s a great community based on patriotism. I want that for my kids. I want that here.”
Additionally, Stringer’s outlook leaned heavily on what he saw as the strength of Wells County — its commitment to faith and country, the people’s service and hard work, and the enduring community spirit.
“We, Wells County, are always willing to give time, effort and money to help — always,” Stringer said. “When life deals us tragedies, natural disasters or challenges, Wells County stands up, unites, and pulls together, always has. For fundraisers, community service, prayer groups, and prayer circles, Wells County is united and there for each other. We set aside differences and lift one another up, overcoming challenges, removing obstacles, and truly caring for one another. No matter what our difficulties are — yesterday, today or tomorrow — we will overcome them and move forward like we always have and always will.”
In continuing this tradition, Stringer said the county government plans to continue partnering with the city of Bluffton and area towns to encourage growth and development in all areas. Exemplifying this, Stringer cited the recent partnership between the city and county for one dispatch center.
“We’re working together, we’re pooling efforts, we’re pooling resources to make things better,” he said.
Stringer ended by encouraging discussion and thanking for the community’s participation thus far.
He concluded, “Thank you for the input, insight and support. It’s been an honor and continues to be an honor for all three of us (commissioners) to serve. And let’s make sure that we’re still on that path, that as we go forward, we’re building on that strong foundation of the community and we continue to grow and make Wells County strong.”
holly@news-banner.com
