Casperson running unopposed for Bonneville County Commissioner, District 1, after other candidates drop out

IDAHO FALLS — Karl Casperson is unopposed successful nan title for Bonneville County Commissioner, District 1, aft his 2 opponents, Doyle Beck and Ty Hall, withdrew earlier from nan race.

The position is for a two-year term. Casperson is simply a Republican.

EastIdahoNews.com sent nan aforesaid 8 questions to each region candidate. Casperson’s responses, listed below, were required to beryllium 250 words aliases less. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing nan answers successful their entirety, and without immoderate grammatical aliases style editing.

The superior predetermination is May 21.

Tell america astir yourself — see accusation astir your family, career, education, unpaid activity and immoderate anterior acquisition successful nationalist office.

Casperson: I americium a Navy implant to Idaho, primitively from a mini municipality successful northwest Montana. I was stationed present for 6 months successful 1979 for atomic powerfulness prototype training and returned successful precocious 1983 to statesman a word arsenic an unit instructor. In 1985, I began volunteering arsenic a Reserve Deputy for nan Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. I was hired full-time successful 1988 aft 10 and a half years of Navy work and presently americium assigned arsenic nan Administrative Sergeant, overseeing nan full hiring process for Patrol Deputies. I americium nan proud begetter of 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls and 1 granddaughter. I person been a Scouting unpaid for galore years and person served connected respective organization organizations specified arsenic United Way, Idaho Falls Senior Citizens Center and Chaplains of Idaho.

Why are you seeking governmental office? Briefly explicate your governmental platform.

Casperson: I americium seeking nan Office of Bonneville County Commissioner because I want to proceed to service nan residents of this awesome organization successful a larger capacity. Many of my assignments wrong nan Sheriff’s Office person progressive school group really to forestall themselves from becoming victims of various types of crimes; from talking pinch preschoolers astir strangers to nan aged and preventing scams from getting them.

I americium Republican because I judge successful nan Divine Inspiration of nan United States Constitution and its Amendments. I americium a non-denominational Christian. I judge successful adjacent authorities and justness for all, nan Sanctity of Life; that life originates astatine conception; that minimal authorities is champion and is simply a servant of nan group and not its master. Government needs to beryllium fiscally responsible.

What areas successful your region request contiguous improvement? What actions will you return to reside those needs?

Casperson: Idaho Falls, Ammon, lona, Ucon, Swan Valley, Irwin and Palisades person a commonality. Bonneville County surrounds each community. What occurs successful 1 has an impact connected nan other. I will strive to amended better practice and connection wrong each of these entities. Our organization is expanding successful leaps and bounds while our infrastructure is lagging behind, peculiarly roads. There needs to beryllium semipermanent readying for this growth, mixed pinch short-term solutions to easiness this already overwhelming issue.

I will found a amended method for communicating what is happening successful Bonneville County truthful our citizens are alert and tin scheme accordingly. Taxpayers person a correct to cognize really their money is being spent and it needs to beryllium spent wisely. Everyone should beryllium capable to look for and find what nan existent projects are successful Bonneville County arsenic good arsenic nan communities surrounding it.

What are nan top semipermanent challenges facing group successful your county? What is your scheme to meet those challenges?

Casperson: Growth has almost go a buzz connection aliases cliche and is of awesome interest pinch astir residents of Bonneville County. This has led to postulation issues, schoolhouse overcrowding and an effect connected utilities specified arsenic water, sewer, state and electricity. System upgrades must beryllium made to support this growth.

NO FARMS – NO FOOD

The maturation of these communities has required turning established workplace crushed into existent property developments. Farmers are being forced to take betwixt continuing to farm, sometimes astatine a nonaccomplishment owed to higher accumulation costs and losses, aliases trading to developers. This is other of what is needed owed to nan continued maturation successful our state, federation and nan world.

How will you champion correspond nan views of your constituents – moreover those pinch differing governmental views? How will you pass straight pinch constituents?

Casperson: As County Commissioner, my constituents are nan citizens of Bonneville County. I americium being entrusted pinch their taxes to beryllium fiscally responsible. I will trust connected nan elected officials and section heads, being nan experts successful their fields, to besides beryllium responsible pinch their budgets. I americium committed to make wise usage of each backing allocated to nan region and run pinch a balanced budget.

I will make myself disposable to each citizens of Bonneville County, look to look and/or electronically. I will make nationalist appearances to immoderate group that requests. All citizens request to cognize that if they sound their concerns, they will beryllium heard.

What parts of nan region fund could usage much funding? Where are places successful nan fund wherever cuts could beryllium made?

Casperson: The justness money is allocated by nan authorities and is nan superior root of backing for complete half of nan county’s expenditures to see cognition of nan region sheriff’s office, construction, remodeling, cognition and attraction of region jails, juvenile detention accommodation and/or region courthouses, cognition of nan prosecuting attorney’s office, proviso of nationalist defender work and different court-appointed counsel, and cognition of nan agency of nan clerk of nan territory court, to nan grade that cognition of that agency provides support for nan territory court. These costs are continually changing and rising.

I judge nan existent Board of County Commissioners person gone complete budgets pinch section heads looking for ways to trim spending and this must proceed to beryllium done. Using contractors and privatizing immoderate services tin ever beryllium evaluated.

What is nan domiciled of section media successful your community? How tin region officials activity to person a amended narration pinch nan media?

Casperson: Local media plays a important domiciled successful keeping nan organization informed of activities and events going on. A organization almanac tin support residents abreast of scheduled events, while news outlets tin notify citizens of changing situations that person a impermanent impact connected people’s schedules, safety, routes etc. I person served arsenic a Public Information Officer for nan Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for complete 10 years. The Sheriff’s existent PIO is simply a maestro astatine accusation sharing. I deliberation nan Board of County Commissioners could usage a akin type of programme to support nan organization informed. I judge citizens should beryllium capable to travel developments successful nan organization quickly and simply.

Voter turnout and information continues to beryllium debased successful Idaho. What efforts tin beryllium made to stimulate greater elector engagement successful elections and government?

Casperson: I consciousness that group are getting nan emotion that their ballot doesn’t really count, that location seems to beryllium a vocal number making decisions and calling nan shots. There is specified section successful this country, not only betwixt various parties, but wrong parties also. And past there’s nan reactions erstwhile group disagree. It’s arsenic though you tin nary longer work together to disagree aliases compromise. It’s my measurement aliases nan highway. This cognition needs to extremity and move wholly around. America was founded connected communal halfway beliefs, but differences of sentiment person ever been tolerated. This needs to alteration from nan apical down.

I americium honored to person nan opportunity to proceed to activity pinch nan citizens of this awesome county.