Floyd County Supervisor Candidate Q&A – Josh Mack, District 2

Each of the candidates for Floyd County supervisor was sent a list of eight questions regarding current county topics of interest. Here are the answers of those who responded:

Josh Mack, age 45, field rep for Sterling Computers.

School Board five years, 18 years working in public sector, NIACC (6), MN State Senate (2) ISU (10).

Wife Rachel (married 15 years), Sons Carter (11) and Lucas (9), Daughters Madison (5) Charlotte (4).

Question 1) – Why are you running for a seat on the Floyd County Board of Supervisors?

I want to help make our community a better place by providing transparency on how the county spends money, projects the county works on and how we can build economic development across the county. I want to come up with innovative ways to attract people to move to Floyd County. It is also important to keep the enjoyment around living and working in Floyd County. We have great things going on in Floyd County, let’s use those to our advantage.

Question 2) – Do you support passing an essential services levy in the county to pay for emergency medical services? If yes, how should the use of that tax money be prioritized? If no, how would you propose supporting EMS services in the county?

I support EMS services in the county and the importance it has in our county for everyone. How it is funded and how it is managed is an important responsibility for the Board of Supervisors. Continuing to raise taxes is not a sustainable approach to solving problems. The approach we should take is how can we make it better before taking the easy approach of raising taxes.

Question 3) – Have county property tax rates been handled responsibly in recent years, and what, if anything, would you have done differently regarding specific spending?

This is a difficult question to answer without knowing how much we have spent on projects and how funding has been allocated. Property taxes have been on a steady rise in the county when other taxing entities have had minimal increases. Before we raise taxes, it is the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to look at other ways to manage expenses.

Question 4) – Would you favor increasing the size of the board of supervisors to five members? Why or why not?

Last year the Board of Supervisors changed from at-large districts to specific voting districts. I would be open to understanding why people would want to move to a five-person board. This board will be the first board under the new redistricting. Before we make any additional changes, I would advocate to wait to see this new board in action before making any additional changes.

Question 5) – If it was entirely your decision, how specifically would you spend the more than $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the county is receiving?

I would hold meetings across the county soliciting feedback from communities and organizations on how we could spend the ARPA funds. I would meet with every department head at the county and understand projects they want to do that have one-time costs and that have not been funded but have a big impact to the county.

One project I learned about in talking with county employees is the county engineer’s plan to consolidate maintenance sheds across the county. This would be an outstanding project to provide a positive economic impact and help to lower operating cost with one time ARPA funds.

Question 6) – If the power was entirely yours, what two things would you do the first 100 days of being sworn into office?

I would work to engage the public in the county meetings and be as transparent as possible about how the county spends the money it is allocated. I would ask every city if they would allow us to hold a meeting or a work session in their community to work with their citizens. I would work to visit all of the county facilities and understand all the programs the county provides. I would work to complete any outstanding projects the county has. I would complete a balanced budget for the county.

Question 7) – What is the most important single thing you hope to have accomplished by the end of your term in office?

The most important jobs of a county supervisor are to be fiscally responsible and to maintain and provide essential services for the citizens of Floyd County. My goal would be to provide fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency throughout the county. Leaving the county in a better place financially than how I found it would be a cornerstone of my term.

Question 8) – Why are you the best choice to be elected for your race?

I have the most experience in managing budgets and taxes in District 2. I’ve worked for over 18 years with large complex projects. I’ve worked with and I understand large complicated budgets. I understand how tax levies work and how to best manage them.

I understand how to listen and make things better for everyone. My goal is to focus on representing the citizens of Floyd County and making a positive impact throughout the county. Please vote Mack on Nov. 8th.

THE REST OF THE CANDIDATES