There are two candidates on the ballot this November for the position of Supervisor, District 2 - Randy Dunbar and Marvin McCann. The position is held by Larry Keller, who is not seeking reelection.
Election day is Nov. 8. Absentee voting begins on Oct. 19.
Editor’s Note: Both candidates were given the same questionnaire from the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune; candidate responses are listed alphabetically.
Randy Dunbar
Dunbar is running on the Republican ticket.
Tell us about yourself:
I am a resident of rural Clarke County, and have been for almost all my life.
I was raised on the family farm and after graduation went straight into the Army. After serving my country in Vietnam, I attended junior college in Creston and then Northwest Missouri State University.
After graduation, I taught high school classes and coached football and wrestling. I rejoined my family in Clarke County in 1983. I have always done a little farming and loved the land; I owned my own carpentry business and sold insurance.
Why are you running for this position:
I am a conservative that believes that we need to get the most out of our expenditures, working to make our tax dollars go farther.
What are your top three priorities for the county, and how do you plan to address them:
Reduce taxes and make tax dollars go further.
What makes you the best candidate for the job:
I am a hard worker who has experience in many aspects of southern Iowa living.
Anything else you would like to add?
I believe this is a good place to live and raise a family. I am dedicated to a better tomorrow.
Marvin McCann
McCann is running on the Democrat ticket.
Tell us about yourself:
I was born and raised in rural Clarke County and, except for attending college, have lived here my entire life.
After graduating from Clarke Community High School, I attended Northeast Missouri State University and obtained my bachelor’s degree, later returning to get my master’s degree.
I returned to Osceola in 1972 and taught Industrial Education for 39 years. My wife, Kayleen, and I own several rental properties locally, which we rent to individuals, families and businesses.
Why are you running for this position:
Clarke County needs a strong and effective leader. I have a great deal of pride for this county and community and am pleased with all that was achieved in the eight years I served as your county supervisor. Much progress was made in our park system, public health, mental health, emergency management, Veterans Affairs, general relief, secondary roads, and building maintenance and upkeep, all while keeping the tax levy low.
My desire is to continue the progression of positive improvements to the county and to continue to be fiscally responsible.
What are your top three priorities for the county, and how do you plan to address them:
I plan to work closely with the county engineer to ensure the county roads, bridges, equipment, and facilities are maintained best as possible with the funds available.
Another prerogative is to meet regularly with other elected officials and different boards regarding issues affecting the county and their budgets to make sure that we provide the level of service our resident expect.
Thirdly, fiscal responsibility is necessary when preparing the county budget, so again, I will work with other governmental agencies as well as the public so necessary services can be provided.
Having been a county supervisor, I understand the laws and restrictions by which elected officials have to comply. Voters need to be wary of promises made by some candidates which cannot be legally upheld.
What makes you the best candidate for the job:
I really want to see Clarke County successfully move forward. I have shown that I have the leadership to help “get things done.” As previously mentioned, so much was accomplished through the entire county during those eight years I served as supervisor. My skills, my experiences in education, in running a business with my wife, and those gained in the supervisor office, as well as my responsibility to being committed to this position make me the best candidate for Clarke County Supervisor. My ability in working with others and utilizing effective communications for successful collaboration, whether it was for education or the county, has proven effective.
The eight years I served as county supervisor provided me with so much knowledge about Clarke County and the duties of Supervisor, as well as governmental rules and restrictions involved. Again, working together, we, the Supervisors, were able to successfully accomplish more than had been done in years.
My prior commitment to this position demonstrated my responsibility to work over and beyond for our county, making myself available to the public, listening to others, putting in extra time, driving roads, working with county officials and boards, and personally attending the many out-of-county meetings as a representative for Clarke.
Wanting to see our county move forward, I would truly appreciate the opportunity to serve the people of Clarke County once more.
Anything else you would like to add?
One of the most important rights we have is the right to vote. It’s really important for locally elected officials to be determined by their qualifications and their responsibility to commitment for the position.