John Frey

Education/Profession:

• Education: North Montgomery High School • Occupation: Farmer

Position statement 1:

• What specific experiences and skills qualify you to be a commissioner? As a lifetime resident who has raised my family here, I know how important it is to provide the quality of life we need not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. As a farmer and small business owner, I understand how we must continue to grow our local economy while still protecting the heritage and values of the people of our county. As county commissioner, I have spent the last four years in office bringing people from all around our community together, listening to the residents of our county, building consensus and moving our county forward. As we continue forward, I will use my experience to continue to protect and enhance the things that the community has said are important to them and work hard every day to fight for the people of Montgomery County.

Position statement 2:

• What are your top priorities as commissioner if you are elected? My number one priority is to help our county continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must continue to work hard to help families and businesses not just get back to normal, but to come back even stronger than before. Fortunately, the citizens of the county have developed a roadmap to help us focus efforts and resources moving forward. During my time as commissioner, the county went through an extensive 18-month comprehensive planning process that engaged the residents of Montgomery County. Through that process, our residents identified their priorities for our county: attracting good-paying jobs, keeping taxes low, improving and maintaining our infrastructure, protecting our natural resources and respecting our agricultural heritage. While the pandemic has certainly given us other factors to consider, this plan still serves as a foundation on which the future success of our county can be built. As a publicly elected official, I am committed to delivering on the citizen’s priorities. As commissioner, that is what I have always strived to do and, if elected to serve another four years, it’s what I will continue to do.

Position statement 3:

• What can Crawfordsville and Montgomery County do to encourage businesses to locate here? Because of all our hard work these last few years we are in a great position today to capitalize on economic growth opportunities! We have invested in infrastructure east of town along the I-74/State Road 32/Nucor Corridor. We are building relationships with property owners, brokers and site selectors as well as residential/commercial/industrial developers. We have created a marketing plan and strategy to attract good-paying jobs to our community and we are beginning to tell the story of why Montgomery County is a great place to do business. Our success in the future will require leaders in Crawfordsville and Montgomery County to continue to work together for our common good. Montgomery County will not be strong unless both the county and the city are strong. When we plan for our future and invest in ourselves, others recognize that and want to be a part of our growth and success. We have done a lot of work to put ourselves in a position to grow our business base, but much work remains to be done to build on our momentum.

Position statement 4:

• During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, what will you do if elected to help the recovery of our community? In Montgomery County, we are blessed to have incredible community partners. Independent citizens, first responders and medical professionals, the Chamber, the City of Crawfordsville’s leadership, leaders from all of our smaller towns, county leadership, schools, our business owners (small and large), our incredible charities and community organizations, and so many more who are working tirelessly to keep our community running. As commissioner, I will continue to communicate status updates, stimulus opportunities and make sure resources get to the right people as soon as they are available. I will ensure the county works collaboratively and leverages existing relationships with state and federal partners to help our community reopen responsibly and get back to the normal that we all desire. We will stay committed to delivering the citizen’s vision and priorities for the community and continue to invest time and resources, strategically, to help make sure Montgomery County continues to be a great place to raise a family, do business and enjoy our open spaces and natural resources. Rest assured, we will all get through this together.

Position statement 5:

• What do you want voters to know about you before they cast their ballot? Since day one, I have prioritized listening to and communicating with constituents. I was one of the strongest advocates for the comprehensive plan — an 18-month process dedicated to listening to residents and asking what they want. But I knew we couldn’t stop there. After the comp plan was completed, I made sure county government continued to engage citizens in conversation by initiating initiatives like Coffee with the Commissioner and Connect with the Commish. Listening to the citizens doesn’t do much good if you don’t act on it. Over the past four I, along with my fellow county leaders, have: • Fought industrial wind farms and won • Prioritized attracting new jobs and housing • Spearheaded a plan to improve our infrastructure, including roads, bridges and broadband • Kept taxes low • Championed transparency in government • Upheld our county’s shared values In the next four year we have to continue to deliver. I want to: • Attract and retain more high paying jobs so our kids and grandkids stay here to raise their families • Attract more housing so the folks that work in our community can also live in our community • Continue paving roads and seek creative funding solutions to grow our infrastructure • Work with our top notch schools to continue to keep them strong • Hear from residents about how they want to shape the future of the county. • What is the greatest concern that you hear from local citizens? It is clear to me that residents understand the opportunity that lies before us in Montgomery County. They tell me that they want to grow our community, but to do so in a way that does not compromise our heritage, our values and the things that make Montgomery County a great place to live today. They want a place that their kids can call home once they start their families. They want new businesses and good paying jobs, new housing opportunities, new shops and restaurants. A post COVID-19 world is a world where people are more inclined to move out of large cities and in to places like Montgomery County. We must, as a county, seize that opportunity and grow and support development on our terms, where we want it, and when we want it. The citizens also tell me that they want improved broadband and cellular service in the county, and they do not want industrial wind farms. That is why we have been working with regional partners to bring new broadband coverage to the citizens of the county. It is also why I, and the other county commissioners, fought against industrial winds farms to make sure they would not be permitted here … and we won for the citizens of Montgomery County. While much good work has been done, there is still much to do. I am committed to rolling up my sleeves and getting it done.