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Gary White's political platform for local government is founded on the principles of limited government and conservative values, emphasizing fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and community empowerment. Gary is committed to maintaining balanced budgets and reducing unnecessary spending to ensure financial stability while keeping taxes low to promote economic growth.
COUNTY ISSUES
Major issues need to be addressed within the County. We must maintain the county duties while at the same time not growing it unnecessarily. Additionally, the private sector should not have to compete with the government.
ECONOMY
Gary White is committed to boosting the local economy by creating more living wage jobs and supporting small businesses. He believes in investing in local entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth that benefits all members of the community.
​COMMISSION ON AGING
Commissioners are currently considering constructing a new Commission on Aging (COA) building five miles outside of Hastings. The Senior Campus Development Conceptual Plan does not just meet the needs of seniors, it has amenities that more closely resemble a wealthy suburban town rather than a county senior services facility. The plan contains an amphitheater, food truck court, playground, splash pad, pavilion with stage, pickleball courts, and an orchard. It also identifies possible future development of multi-family residential, independent living facilities, or cottages, with residential services. Does this sound like a facility our county government should be building? Gary White believes this is Big Government OVERREACH. The services and facilities for COA need to support and serve our senior community, but not become a behemoth tax drain that caters more to the activities of young families than those 60+. The county also has a responsibility to respect private sector senior facilities in our area and not become a competitor to them with a never-ending purse of taxpayer dollars that would put private facilities out of business.
Link to Senior Campus Development Conceptual Plan
COUNTY JAIL
The need to replace the Barry County Jail has been talked about for over 15 years! The facility has continued to deteriorate as a plan for its renewal or replacement has not been established. If we continue on this path, Barry County will be required to contract with a neighboring county to house inmates, which will cost taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money. The Barry County Budget from 2022 to 2024 shows property tax revenue increases totaling $2,400,000.00. The current commissioners are spending or hoarding the increases instead of using the ability to bond the jail facility without another property TAX millage.
Jail Photos
FRIEND OF THE COURT BUILDING
The current county commissioners want to reopen the Friend of the Court building (SW corner of State St and Broadway). The court system consolidated and vacated the 9,100 ft2 building two years ago. The Commission Chair claims there are a couple of county offices needed that this reopening would fulfill. 9,100 ft2 is too large for a “couple of offices.” This means that government is looking to grow more in a time when employers are having a hard time finding employees to even fill current openings. If there’s a need for additional county offices, they should be placed on the current county offices parcel of land.
Friend of the Court Photos
COUNTY ANNEX
The County Annex is the deteriorating old county jail building on the NE corner of Broadway and Court St. It has boarded up windows, rotting soffits, along with patchwork brick and building add-ons. It is inefficient and not fit for anything but storage space and very minimal Building and Grounds use. This is not the fault of the Building and Grounds Department. The current state of this building is the failed responsibility of the governing body for not putting a full facilities plan together and implementing it. The best use of this county real estate would be to raze the building and expand county parking.
County Annex Photos
NO NEW TAXES!
Property tax revenues are projected to increase from 2024 to 2026 by $2,400,000.00. The government needs NO NEW TAXES!
Projected Tax Revenues
CONSTITUTION TRAINING
Gary White has recently completed Patriot Academy's Constitution Alive! training.
Certificate
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