Press Releases

For: traceytackett.com
DATE: 8/19/22

Clark County is a vibrant and diverse place and the Commissioners job is to serve all citizens. As a candidate for Clark County Commissioner, I have been asked to provide information on my position regarding issues that I feel are priorities in our county.

One of my primary concerns is for our First Responders. Our county is safer and more secure when we are able to attract and retain quality personnel in those roles. Because of my desire to become a more informed citizen, I attended the Citizen’s Police Academy in 2021 and did a ride-along with the Sheriff’s Department. Those experiences impacted me deeply and helped me to recognize the needs of these selfless individuals who put themselves at risk every day to protect and serve the citizens of Clark County. My active support of the First Responders has been through the organization of and participation in events like National Night Out, Citizen’s Police Academy Golf Scramble, Operation Thanksgiving, Operation Santa, Bike Rodeo, Firefighters’ Ball, and other new events currently in the works to help support and to build morale. Bringing citizens and First Responders together, building bridges and improving community culture is important.

As a county, we MUST be able to offer salaries and benefits that are competitive to enable us to attract and retain sufficient numbers of high-quality deputies and firefighters to provide the services that Clark County clearly needs. Clark County’s average salary for current police officers is substantially lower than all but one of the surrounding counties. We can’t expect to attract and retain officers when we are not competitive.

We need facilities and personnel that provide support to effectively deal with the increasing problems associated with crime and violence. We need a jail facility that is not in disarray, falling apart and overcrowded. We can’t expect to best serve citizens and attract deputies to serve in those conditions. Our public servants need to be able to have pride in their jobs and in their county to maintain the necessary morale to keep them in Clark County. Citizens need to know that our facilities are sufficient to deal with increasing policing issues.

We need the new Dispatch Center to be finished!! One of the primary roles of county government is to provide for the public safety. The 911 Dispatch service is the vital, first link in the public safety chain. Without an effective dispatch system, citizens cannot receive the emergency services they need. In talking with stakeholders, it is clear that there has been a lack of communication and transparency regarding the rationale, costs and delays in the project. The County Commissioners need to continue active oversight of the project through to completion as quickly as possible to ensure public safety.

We need to have not only personnel, but appropriate services to provide to citizens in crisis. Mental health issues play a part in many situations that require law enforcement intervention. Mental health services at the county level are sadly lacking and many people with mental health and drug related issues are simply monitored and released without being provided the services necessary to reduce recidivism. The county response has been to add a mental health professional to the staff to deal with these issues. A single person is not going to solve the mental health and drug crisis facing Clark County. County personnel works hard to provide access to necessary services but lack resources to fully meet the growing needs in the segment of the population that they serve.

The job of government is to provide public safety services and critical infrastructure services. When those goals are met, Clark County can attract and retain residents and businesses in our communities and townships because they know that Clark County can meet their needs. That will, in turn, reduce population and economic losses. Strong retail and manufacturing sectors, both existing and new, are important to the economic well-being of Clark County. Small businesses, both within our communities and in our rural areas, need to be able to thrive in Clark County. We need to find ways to make that happen. While economic growth is important, Clark County also needs to find a balance that maintains the rural spaces and way of life that is important to so many Clark County residents and that contributes to the charm that local residents appreciate.

The I-70 exits are the gateways that can attract visitors and businesses to Clark County or allow them to simply pass by. We need to look closely at improving the appearance of all of them. The entire 1-70 corridor through Clark County needs to showcase the best of Clark County. The work being done at Champions Park at the I-70/41 interchange is a step in the right direction for Clark County to appear progressive and welcoming to visitors and potential businesses. The type of work being done there should be duplicated at the other interchanges. The I-70/72 exit on the south side of Springfield, that brings people into the heart of our largest city and economic center, should be equally as welcoming and attractive.

A progressive Clark County also needs to explore options for increasing green energy in the county. There are moves throughout the county to implement green energy initiatives in both business and services but Clark County needs to take the lead in investigating resources from state and federal to be the innovators in the region in the green energy sector.