Today The DAILY LEADER continues a special question-and-answerseries with candidates in some of the county’s top races in theNov. 4 general election. Today’s race is for Supervisor DistrictTwo. Both candidates participated.

The property tax levy for Lincoln County operations wentup 1.59 mills to 39.89 with the new budget year on October 1. Whatcan you do to ensure that the county’s needs are met while spendingis kept under control?

Bobby Watts: County spending for the new yearis budgeted to increase 1.49 percent for the year 2004.

We look at all departments to find cost savings changes.

James H. Williams: First of all, the supervisorneeds to know what the needs are in his district. You need to runeveryday operations just like the election is tomorrow. So manysupervisors start to work just before the election and quit justafter the election is over. A supervisor is only one man trying totake care of a district in which he lives with thousands of otherpeople.

One part to my plan is to have open community meetings on aregular basis, so I can find out the needs of my district. We willdiscuss the needs, figure out a solution, budget the project, applyfor any aids that will help complete the project, and then go forthand put it into action. Another part of my plan is to run District2 like a business, once the project has been budgeted stay withinthe budget that has been set for that project. This will allowDistrict 2 to work on more projects and save money as well. Workingwith a small family business I learned how to stretch a dollar andmake each cent count. One example of unnecessary spending ispatching our roads and keep coming back time after time patchingthem. You can cut that unnecessary spending by finding out whatcaused the problem and fix it. It costs more to patch a road thanit does to fix it right the first time. We all want things, but asa supervisor, I will have to look at our needs and not ourwants.

Why should the citizens of your district entrust thesupervisor’s job to you?

Bobby Watts: I never look back, “I’m not goingthat way.”

James Williams: I could answer this question inso many ways, but to be short and sweet, I will answer it this way.Working in road construction, running a business, havingcertifications hanging on the wall and having all thequalifications for being supervisor is not everything a person whois seeking this position needs. Isn’t it really about taking careof the people of your district, helping them in any way you can,taking time to listen to the people and to act on the informationfor the needs of the people? My intentions are to do just that –listen to people, fight for the needs and speak out for the peopleof District 2. It is my hope, if elected, that within the four-yearterm I become known to everyone in District 2 on a first-namebasis.

Wednesday: Supervisor District Five.