John Hedrick II is seeking the Montgomery County Council at large seat. The following Q&A was submitted by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County. Other candidates in June’s primary election will be featured.
Name: John Hedrick II
Office sought: Montgomery County Council At-Large
Occupation: Self-employed farmer and business owner
Education: North Montgomery High School; Purdue University bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics/farm management
Community involvement: Crawfordsville Farmers Market steering committee member; Montgomery County Board of Zoning Appeals; and attend Mace United Methodist Church
Party affiliation: Republican
What do you think is the most important issue facing Crawfordsville/Montgomery County in the next four years?
I feel funding will be a huge issue over the next four years. The need for services keeps increasing each year especially for public safety and courts. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, revenue from things such as the gasoline tax will be reduced affecting road funding. Also, things such as the LOIT (local option income tax) will be greatly reduced due to higher than normal unemployment.
If elected, what would be your primary goal for the first year?
Prioritizing funding for roads and public safety would be my main goal. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has really hurt our economy both locally and abroad. I believe we will have to make a few changes short term but in the long run we will come out better.
What professional experience do you have that is relevant to the office you seek, and what specific skills do you possess that makes you qualified for the position?
I have been a self-employed farmer and business owner for 16 years. Building relationships, having an open line of communication and budgeting have led to a successful business platform. I feel the same is true for being a county councilman. Working with other elected officials, department heads and citizens using the same fundamentals from our business will be a positive step in the right direction.
An elected office provides the opportunity to proactively lead by placing new ideas on the agenda for consideration and development. What are some specific ideas you intend pursue if elected?
One thing I would like to see change up a little bit, would be working with other officials to move at least one council meeting every quarter to evening time. After talking with several citizens, this is a topic that gets brought up often. Due to average work schedules, a lot of folks cannot attend morning meetings. I’d like to see a certain number of evening meetings held so those citizens’ voices can be heard and more people can be educated and involved in what’s going on.
Please describe your priorities for this term in office and your specific qualifications to address those issues effectively.
As mentioned above, prioritizing funding for roads and public safety would be first. I feel being a business owner gives me the first hand knowledge to make good decisions for our citizens and taxpayers.
Because the council serves a wide constituency, how can the council balance the needs and interest of both Crawfordsville and Montgomery County?
I believe this is where an open line of communication and willingness to work with others is very important. If the city and county officials can work together and meet in the middle, I think the citizens will benefits greatly.
What can Crawfordsville and Montgomery County do to reduce its carbon footprint?
I believe promoting local businesses and local food would have a great impact. For example, the average food product travels approximately 400 miles before it reaches the store shelf. I’ve been involved with the Crawfordsville Farmers Market since 2016. In that amount of time, demand for local products has increased greatly. If part of the food for our community only travels an average of 10 miles vs. 400 miles, it is bound to help reduce our carbon foot print.
What is the greatest concern that you hear from residents?
County roads. A recent study showed the average PASER score of our county roads are a 4 out of 10. My goal as a councilman is to work with the highway department and elected officials (local and state) to prioritize and gain all possible funding to keep and maintain our roads the best we can.
All cities and counties face fiscal challenges, how would you address balancing the budget and needs and wants of the community?
I believe it comes down to itemizing needs vs. wants. Our first priority would be public safety in my opinion with roads being second. My goal is to be fiscally responsible and make wise use investment of our valuable taxpayer dollars.
What can Crawfordsville and Montgomery County do to encourage businesses to locate here?
I believe the local schools and organizations are doing a good thing by offering vocational training. One of the biggest complaints I hear from business owners and employers are they can’t find qualified help. I feel by offering these additional classes teaching highly demanded skills, students are more prepared once they graduate and have more to offer. In turn, businesses are more likely to locate here if they have a readily available workforce.
During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, what will you do, if elected, to help the recovery of our business community?
Working with our businesses and elected officials (local, state, and federal) will be more important than ever (loans, grants, etc.). It is very important that we remember to shop local and support our local business during these trying times. During this time, our community has shown what amazing people and valuable assets we have in Montgomery County.