County Representation

I attended the pre-primary Cavalier County Commissioner candidate forum and was intrigued by the fact that some of the candidates felt that counties could have better representation in the state legislature if county commissioners served as legislators.

I’m sure a commissioner would know the needs of his or her particular county commission, but I believe that’s the extent of the “advantage”.

Legislators must represent all of the people, not just county commissioners. However, preceeding the two sessions I have served District 10, I have met with the commissioners of all three of our counties and asked them to indentify specific needs in their individual counties. I also attend Township Officer Association meetings to identify needs of townships within District 10. I have regular contact with water resource boards within and beyond our District. I also try to attend various events and meetings throughout the area to get a feel for peoples’ interests and concerns and be available for people to approach.

This brings to light another misconception – that serving in the ND Legislature requires only four months of time every other year. True, that is the maximum amount of time in session, but the position requires much more dedication of time than just the session. There are interim committees, any number of the meetings discussed previously, and personal contacts, phone calls, email, etc., etc.

Being a ND Legislator involves a huge time commitment, and I knew that when I made the decision to serve. I am honored to be entrusted with the duty of bringing the issues of District 10 before the Legislature and willingly dedicate my time to fulfilling that challenge. In spite of my best efforts I feel there are issues that have slipped through the cracks, and I’m still concerned about them.

Personally, I believe the combined time commitment for legislative and county commissioner duties would diminish the quality of service to one, if not both, of the positions.

Best regards,

Chuck

Sincere Thanks!

Thanks just doesn’t seem adequate. I really wish I could shake the hand of each of you who supported me with your vote in the June 10 primary election! I hope we can carry and increase this support into the November general election. It truly has been an honor and privilege to serve you in the ND Legislature the last four years and I honestly believe I can serve you better in the coming years with the experience I’ve gained. Once again, my most sincere, heartfelt thanks!

PS   I will be posting my thoughts and comments on issues on this website. I welcome your comment as well. Comments will be screened. Thanks again!