Candidate Forum : Trimble County Candidates

Each candidate was asked same four questions

QUESTIONS ASKED TO CANDIDATES : 1.) WHAT MAKES YOU THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION IN WHICH YOU ARE RUNNING ?

2.) WHAT ARE THE BIG TICKET ITEMS YOU ARE FACING IF ELECTED ? 3.) WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WHILE YOU ARE IN OFFICE? 4.) FEEL FREE TO ADD ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE FOR VOTERS TO KNOW ?

THESE CANDIDATES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT RESPONDED TO MY EMAIL I SENT IT SEVERAL TIMES I APPRECIATE THOSE THAT RESPONED AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL THAT ARE RUNNING 

COUNTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE FOUR CANDIDATES 

CURRENT JUDGE EXECUTIVE TODD POLLOCK : 

1. What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running? I believe I am the best candidate for Judge/Executive because I have the experience of running the county while working with county employees, elected officials (locally, statewide, and nationally), and various organizations to make Trimble County great. One of the best parts of this job is the ability to help people and being able to determine their needs and how best to help someone is what I do best. 

2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected ? The easy answer to this question is access to Internet service for the residents of the county. However, I am still working with water companies in the county to get potable drinking water to unserved areas. It is hard to imagine not having public water in every home in 2022, but it is a harsh reality to several residents who rely on wells but want public water service. If we are to see any kind of growth in the county, it begins with infrastructure. Public water as well as access to the Internet and decent roads are vital infrastructure.

3. What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office? One of my main goals when I initially ran for County Judge/Executive was to put an end to the ‘good ol’ boys’ style of government that has stunted Trimble County for decades. While I am certain the atmosphere around the various departments of county government has improved, I am still devoted to serving the people whether they are my ‘buddy’ or not. 

4. Feel free to add anything you would like for voters to know. Four years ago, I asked the people of Trimble County to hire me for the position of Judge/Executive. I am thankful and honored to have the support of so many people in the county. I believe the most important part of the job of Judge/Executive is to serve the people, all the people. I think that leadership begins with service. Whether it is passing out boxes of food, cleaning restrooms at the park, or listening to the people my main goal is to do what is best for the people. My final thoughts are that leaders should do what the people want, not the other way around.

DAVID SCOTT 

Q. What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running? 

A. I believe I am the best candidate for office due to my experience as Magistrate for 12 years on fiscal court. I earned over 500 credit hours of training, I have many connections in state offices and other local offices to help our county with the needs and issues that should be addressed. 

I understand the importance of services provided and fiscal court such as emergency services, family services, ambulance services, county clerk services, law enforcement services, as well as circuit court and county attorney services. I believe the position of County Judge plays a large part in all of the services listed above to assist and guide them to best serve our community. 

Q. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected? 

A. Big ticket items that I am determined to address are replacing/repairing and updating county ambulances and the ambulance building(s), possible use of salt in winter, needed equipment for the county road department, as well as maintain county personal, building maintenance, insurances, and retirement to name just a few. 

Q. What do you hope to accomplish while in office? 

A. While in office I hope to accomplish a clean county, have less drug activity and dependency, ensure services to seniors, ensure public health and safety, attract more businesses to the county, and to create a more positive environment for the young people of the community. 

I am looking forward to working with and respecting all members of fiscal court on a daily basis, to carry out orders by magistrates while respecting their decisions and guidance to ensure the safety and happiness of the community. I am also looking forward to ensuring the information and knowledge of daily operations of county services is accurate such as road departments, parks, senior services, county employees, and the many services provided to the county by fiscal court. I will keep and maintain a lean balanced budget, to ensure all compliance to state and federal regulations. I will restore trust and integrity to the judges office. I will always have my door and ears open to listen to the people of my community and work to address all issues in a mature, fair, and reasonable sense. 

MICHELLE CRAIG GRIFFITH 

1.  What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running?I have nearly 40 years of hands-on experience managing payroll, budgets, and finances. This includes helping to run a successful small business office, as well as serving as treasurer on multiple volunteer committees.  I have a diverse management background and have worked with and supervised several different teams throughout my career.  I am highly organized, and my attention to detail has allowed me to successfully manage large and complicated business projects.  I learn and follow the rules always, and I am a fair person.
2. What are the big-ticket items you are facing if elected? People are still upset over Planning and Zoning being implemented.

Infrastructure to attract new businesses.  Having a clean Audit leaving no questions.

Building the trust of all community members, as well as the rest of the Fiscal Court.

Making sure that internet is in every home in the county.

3.What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office? I hope to learn the processes, study the budget to know what our needs are.  We ultimately must pay the bills and spend money on the needs of the county.  Then come up with a “Wants” list to chisel away at.  I will propose to take a Grant writing class to save money spent outsourcing and put it to use trying to acquire grants that are out there we don’t know about.

4.Anything else you would like voters to know. I won’t make any promises, because I won’t know until I am in the office what things look like and what can and can’t be done.  I will always treat everyone fairly 

JAILER CANDIDATE TROY POLLOCK 

As many know I am running for the position of Trimble County Jailer.

1.What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running: I have almost 33 year's experience in adult corrections; 22 plus years with the Kentucky Department of Corrections, retiring in 2012 as a deputy warden, and 10 plus years in the private sector as an assistant warden and new employee instructor. I have a bachelor's degree in Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice studies from EKU and an associates degree in Criminal Justice from JCTCS.

2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected: The cost of holding Trimble County arrestee's in other counties. 

3 What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office: Accountability and transparency of all expenses in Jailer's office. Perform all the job duties of the office of Jailer with professionalism and consistency.    

4 Feel free to add anything you would like for voters to know: I believe in Christian and family values, and the duty to serve my fellow residents of Trimble county. In the 1990's I was a Trimble County volunteer fireman, and in May of 2020, when the COVID pandemic prevented our senior citizens from traveling to the Trimble County Senior Center in person to get their daily meal.  My wife and I delivered the food to their homes. My wife and I have also been volunteering since May of 2020 to package and hand out the monthly Trimble County commodities.  

 Troy G. Pollock
 

TRIMBLE COUNTY DISTRICT #1 MAGISTRATE 

CURRENT MAGISTRATE CHRIS LITER 

1.  What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running.  I am proudly serving as the District #1 Magistrate and I take great pride in Trimble County. I feel my 3 ½ years of experience in this position in some difficult times in our world is a plus to this position. I understand the current budget position and I am conservative with the spending to operate our county. I base my thoughts on a Wants vs Needs basis to keep our services running efficient. I am available at all times for my constituents and I have answered every call, text or message that I have received since serving as Magistrate. I have completed over 160 hours of training concerning county government and I will continue to lead by example with hard work and integrity

2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected There are several items that the next court will be facing. First is the Ambulance Service. I recently voted No and I opposed hiring a General Contracting firm to begin the planning and construction of a new Ambulance building as the headquarters for our Ambulance service. Early stages of this project look to, in the end to cost the Tax paying citizens of Trimble County upwards to $800,000 to $1 million dollars. without even considering remodeling what we have and adding 1 garage bay. Our ambulance service is just that, a service. It does not make money but we need it and it is valuable to our community. I will continue to oppose this purchase. One of our three ambulances is a 2002 with high mileage and it will need to be replaced at a price tag of above $200,000. Also, if the State mandates that all Ambulance services are required to have paramedics on duty we will be faced with hiring one or two paramedics.

Another Big Ticket is the road barn equipment wearing out. The current court has made efforts to replace a Tandem dump truck and two smaller trucks to better serve the county roads in our community. We have a skid steer that is getting high hours on it and the costs to maintain the equipment continue to rise. But we will need to provide the safest most reliable equipment for our employees

We have a 1960’s boiler in the courthouse to supply the heat and the courthouse roof is looking to need replaced in the future

We are going to be faced with staying competitive with benefits and wages for our County Employees. We have the best around but we want to insure to keep them employed here at home.

So, with these things in mind it brings us to the budget. I think we will need to base our thoughts on a Wants vs Needs approach when approving and following a budget

3. What do hope to accomplish while you are in office The steps are in motion with the current courts partnership with Charter/Spectrum to provide the opportunity for broadband internet to 2500 additional homes in Trimble County. I would like to accomplish that we can even strengthen that partnership to give every household in the entire county the opportunity for broadband internet. The current court has worked with the City of Bedford to make improvements to their city sewer system. If elected I want to work closely with the City of Milton by utilizing some of the ARPA dollars there to help make upgrades to the aging sewer system in Milton. I will continue to work and talk with members of KIPDA to help to secure grants to help insure clean water to every citizen. Infrastructure is valuable to our community and I will continue to work to insure the best for our residents. I will continue to travel all the roads in my district continuously to help identify problems or issues and quickly have them corrected.

4. Feel free to add anything you would like voters to know

I am a lifelong resident of Trimble County and a 1984 graduate of Trimble County High School. My immediate family includes my sweetheart and best friend Susan Maderic, my daughter Brooke and my son Brett. I live at 3876 Liberty Road and my number is 812-701-3090 or can be reached by email at chris.liter@yahoo.com . The last 3 ½ years of serving as Magistrate of District #1 has been an honor and I have given every ounce of energy I have to serving my county. I will continue to lead by example and available at all times. The proudest moment that I have had since serving was in May of 2021 when I had 16 young men from the Trimble County Football team give up 3 hours on a Saturday morning to help me pick up 98 bags of trash from a mile stretch of highway known as the Milton Hill. It made me proud to know that 16 young men want to make their community better than they found it. Trimble County has a bright future and I am proud to call it my Home.

WILLIAM "WILL" SIZEMORE

1. What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running.
2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected ?
3. What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office.
4. Feel free to add anything you would like for voters to know.

 1.) I'm the Vice-chairman of the Trimble Co. Republican Party and a life long Republican.

I've been involved with politics since I was a child campaigning for my cousin who was Sheriff and my uncle who ran for Jailer.

Along the way I have made many friends & acquaintances who represent us in Frankfort and I won't hesitate to call upon them to help the people of Trimble County. 

2.) I believe a lot of folks would like to see Planning and Zoning repealed because it was an issue  forced on the people by the last 2 Fiscal Courts.

 Also, we desperately need to improve our infrastructure with better sewer systems and clean water for every Trimble Co. home.

3.) I want to see less taxes on our elderly citizens and lower the insurance tax. 

 We need more recreational opportunities for our young people(like a water park/public pool). Also, I think we have some great opportunities to build tourism in our county as well.

4.) The future of Trimble County matters to me. I will bring my conservative values and the citizens input Fiscal Court meetings so that I can be a true representative to the people in District #1.

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT # 3 

PAM JOYCE 

I feel I’m the best candidate because my experience includes City Clerk of Milton, Payroll Officer of Trimble County Schools and Accounting Clerk at Area Technology Center in Carrollton. 

In these positions I have gained knowledge in setting  and implementing budgets, guidelines for spending by state requirements and many more things that will help me, as magistrate work with others in running County government as it should be. In addition to these skills, I’m a person that works well with other people which I feel is very important.

The big ticket items I’ll be facing are trucks and other equipment for the road department, increases in insurance and an increase in overall expenses due to the economy. 

While I’m in office I hope to accomplish the fact that residents of Trimble County gain trust in fiscal court and feel we’re doing the best to run an efficient county government while representing them and they’re needs and wishes for Trimble County. 

I’m originally from Oldham County and have lived the past 28 years in Trimble County.  I’ve been married to Doug Joyce for 29 years. I have two children, Jason and Lashann, seven grandchildren and a new great grandson. I’m a member and attend Providence Baptist Church. 

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT # 4 

CURRENT MAGISTRATE KIRBY MELVIN 

1.    What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running?

Experience above everything else. Along with the ability to apply common sense principles to any situation.

          2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected?

         Managing the county budget is THE big ticket item.

3. What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office?

I look forward to continuing bridge replacements and expanding internet availability within the county budget.

Other –

I encourage EVERY registered voter of Trimble County to make your voice heard.  Go to the polls and cast your vote …It is the American privilege.

CRYSTAL WHITICE 

I believe that I am the best candidate for Magistrate District 4 for several reasons. With my 20+ years of bookkeeping and accounting experience, as well as the 18 months I worked in the Judge/Executive's Office, I have a unique understanding of the job and its responsibilities. I also care greatly about our County and want to ensure that wise decisions are made that are going to continue to make Trimble County a great place for our families and future generations.

The citizens of the county have expressed concern regarding the newly implemented Planning and Zoning Ordinance. My goal is to address these concerns and represent them in Fiscal Court.

While in office I hope to develop more transparency and community involvement. Communication is a huge hurdle and my desire is that we find a way to keep the community engaged and involved. I want to ensure that any tax dollars we collect from the residents are used to make this county a better place for them to live. Whether that is in the care of the road system, enhancing the county park, or finding ways to bring business opportunities and maintain safe, affordable housing for our residents. 

Amanda Wright

1. What makes you the best candidate for the position in which you are running.  
2. What are the big ticket items you are facing if elected ? Planning and zoning, County Roads
3. What do you hope to accomplish while you are in office?  
4. Feel free to add anything you would like for voters to know.

I believe I am the best candidate for this position because Trimble County is my home and I bring a fresh, new perspective with a wide range of personal and professional experiences that will contribute greatly to our community.

Currently, some major things I will be facing are planning and zoning and county roads.  The community has spoken and these are some of the major issues they have. As such I intend to stand up and be their voice.

While in office, I hope to accomplish growing and building a better community that our kids will want to raise their children in. With a background in finance and bookkeeping, I hope to be able to better manage the money and resources throughout the community. I intend to listen to the concerns of my constituents and push for the wants and needs of the community.

I was raised on a small farm in Bedford, KY, where I learned the value of faith, hard work, and service to my community. I attend a local church and have served as a volunteer in my community for approximately 22 years. I have 4 beautiful children and a loving husband. I currently work as a bookkeeper/office manager here in the county. I thoroughly enjoy my job and the people I work with. I love my community, and I intend to be a voice for the people. As we move forward to the election, I ask that you vote for me. I will listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability. I can make one promise, and that is I will lead with honesty, integrity, and confidence.

COUNTY CLERK 

CURRENT COUNTY CLERK TINA R. BROWNING 

1. Experience, I have been the Trimble County Clerk for the last 10 years. Prior to being the County Clerk I was Deputy County Clerk for 19 years. My years as a Deputy County Clerk prepared me for the role I'm in today. I take pride in my county, the citizens and the job I do for you. 

2. A new computer program for motor vehicles is scheduled to become active in January. We are currently training and preparing for a successful launch.

3. Over the last few years I have been working hard on record preservation. Restoring the county's historic record books by having them transferred to microfilm and stored in a vault for many years to come. I have focused on technology by adding several new features over the last few years, Keeping the office updated on the latest technology is my goal.

4. There has been some chatter as to why we are not open on Saturdays:

• The Help Desk in Frankfort only has a few people who work on Saturdays. Our motor vehicle system currently runs on 2 systems - Avis and KAVIS - Avis is a 1983 system and the KAVIS system is present day but not fully functional. When we do your work in Avis it is then sent to KAVIS in a shopping cart (just like ordering online). If there is a problem with a transaction and the help desk is not available, we are unable to complete the transaction, This will affect the daily,weekly, monthly and year end reports. Computer updates from the Commonwealth Office of Technology occasionally run on Saturdays. The updates sometimes create system outages.
• There are no other offices open in the courthouse on Saturday's 
• The Sheriff's office is only open during Real Estate Tax season to collect the payment of tax bills.\
• Half of our motor vehicle transfers are on out oof state titles and since the Sheriff's office is closed vehicle inspections are not an option.
• The County Clerk's office is also required to have security when we are open.
• In 2013, when we started closing on Saturdays, our daily totals averaged $300 to $ 500. This amount did not cover the staff's payroll for the day.With all of the little league sports that are held on Saturday mornings those parents, grandparents and friends of the families were not able to come in. 
• We offer 5 ways to do renewals 

1.             1. Renewals can be done in person : Monday -8:30am-5:30pm, Tuesday - 8:30am-4:30pm,Wednesday-8:30am-12:00pm, Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm, Friday 8:30am-4:30pm 
2. Online Web Renewal 
3. Renewnal by phone 
4. Renewal by mail 
5. Night depository for afterhours drop off

• There are reasons for everything and I don't make decisions lightly. I believe that closing on Saturday was the right decision to make in 2013 and I still stand by that today.

TERRY COFFIN

Hello, my name is Terry Coffin and I am running as a Republican for the office of County Clerk of Trimble County.  I was a part of the Trimble County High School graduating class of 1980.  I married my childhood sweetheart, Sheila White, and we have two children - Brittney Dicken and Jaron Coffin.  I currently own and live on the farm where my grandparents raised my dad and his sisters.  I am firmly rooted in this county.  I spent almost 30 years of my life in the retail business.  I managed a multimillion-dollar business with 17 employees.  I did my best to make sure our customers received superior customer service.

I will strive to make the County Clerk’s office the best experience possible for the citizens of Trimble County.  I will offer some Saturday hours and plan to be open later at least one evening a week.  I have been doing research and it appears the office can be open until at least 6:30 one evening.  I plan to stagger staff on Wednesday, Saturday and one late evening until we get it figured out – so that we are not costing the county any extra money.

I have always had an interest in the County Clerk’s office, and I feel that as a public servant, we should strive to make it as easy as possible to do business with the Clerk’s office. 

I would feel honored to serve as the County Clerk of Trimble County, the place I have called home for over 50 years.  I plan to run an organized, service-oriented office and will make every attempt to be a place of convenience to the residents of Trimble County. Thank you.