Meet the Candidates: Texas County Presiding Commissioner

Editor’s Note: Incumbents and candidates for county offices were contacted and asked to submit a short article regarding their attributes and campaign. Opposed races in the upcoming primary election are being presented first. This week’s incumbent and candidate are competing for the office of Texas County Presiding Commissioner in the Republican primary on Tuesday, August 4.

Incumbent Scott Long:

As a candidate for Presiding Commissioner, I would first like to thank The Licking News for this opportunity to connect with the voters of Texas County. I have served the people of Texas County as Presiding Commissioner for the last eight years. I believe in this time we as a commission have diligently reviewed all the needs of the county and worked hard to provide what we could to solve issues within our borders. As one of three commissioners, I have found the position to be challenging but very rewarding. I am seeking re-election to this position because there is still work to be done.

I am a retired Agriculture Instructor who has owned/operated a small business in Cabool as well as managing a small cow/calf operation with my family. My wife, Sheila, currently operates a small business in Cabool, serves on the Cabool School Board, and still makes time with our family. We have five adult children and five wonderful grandchildren who are the reason for what we do.

I believe we must elect individuals who will protect the freedoms and liberties for which God provided. As a commissioner, I will continue to have an open-door policy concerning county issues. Transparency in government is of the utmost importance in establishing trust with the people of our county. Protecting personal property rights has become a major issue as well. County government should never infringe upon the rights of a landowner to use his/her property in a manner they wish as long as they do not tread on their neighbors’ rights.

In closing, I would appreciate your vote in the August 4th Republican primary. I ask to serve the people of Texas County for one more term. Most of all, I ask for the people of this county to be active in their government by stopping by or calling the commission office. Individuals who demand and bully government to do their bidding is not the type of government we need. Government works best when the people express their concerns and we solve problems together.

Again, thank you for the last eight years and I ask for four more years to continue the progress we have started.

Candidate Chance Bland:

Hello. My name is Chance Bland, and I am running for Texas County Presiding Commissioner. I was born and raised in the Houston area, where I am currently living with my lovely wife of eighteen years, Sarah Holson, a fellow Houston native. My mother, Sharon Reddy, was born and raised in Licking. My father, Clark Howell, is from Summersville, Missouri. I say this to highlight my commitment to this county and my long-standing history with it.

Currently, I am the Education Supervisor at South Central Correctional Center in Licking. In my current role I am responsible for overseeing the education budget as well as eleven staff members. During this time, the education department has seen a sharp rise in student participation, overall gains, and Hi-SET completions, which are a GED equivalent. This is important for Missourians as it lowers recidivism rates, saving Missouri hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Previously, I have held a position as the Texas County Children’s Division Investigator. During that time, I saw some of the worst conditions people live in. I saw the need Texas County has for more opportunities to our families. Before then, I taught not only within the public school system, but Gentry Residential Treatment Center. This gave me firsthand experience seeing what happens when children are not given the opportunity to grow and succeed. With more opportunities available to them, I saw bright students that could change the world. Continuing from employment in high school, I became the general manager for the West Plains Pizza Hut in 2009. During that time, I was responsible for overseeing a store that brought in three quarters of a million dollars each year.

If elected to the position of presiding commissioner, I would step down from my current position to focus full time on the county. I will work toward making a better county for us all by creating a cooperative system. To better serve, I will meet with each individual township and citizen to talk about what we are doing, both right and wrong. Improvement in communication between the Commission and other departments and residents needs to be had for the sake of a cohesive county structure. I will work to better this communication and make the county better for those who live here.