Elaine BlaisdellCumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — Garrett County District 3 commission candidates, incumbent Bob Gatto, Jim Hinebaugh, Chad Maroney, Dave Beard and Jeff Haines, address the issues that are facing the county.
Gatto noted economic development and that the issues trickle down from there.
“It’s like a puzzle, it’s not just one piece that you can address,” said Gatto. “We have got a well-trained workforce; we have got to have affordable housing, we have to have all the things associated with what the employers need and then balance it with what we have.”
Maroney and Hinebaugh indicated that one of the biggest issues facing the county is lack of jobs.
“We have plenty of minimum wage jobs, but we need more in the $30,000 range and above,” said Maroney. “Garrett County is a perfect place as far as location. With the near completion of Corridor H, we are poised to see a spike in traffic from Corridor H to Route (Interstate) 68 and vice versa.”
Gatto said that money and jobs would make the county better but that it is about balance.
“Obviously, money and jobs make it better for everything, but at the same time balancing that and spending it correctly and having a vision for the future I think is a better approach,” said Gatto. “We need to grow the pie and at the same time balance it as we go.”
Maroney suggests that all the surrounding counties need to work together to take advantage of what could be a great economic opportunity.
“If we better partner with all the counties that surround us, we could all benefit from this great opportunity,” said Maroney. “If we work together to lure major manufacturing here to our little corner of Appalachia, everyone could benefit.”
Luring manufacturers would bring construction opportunities in housing, business and industrial contracts, according to Maroney.
Hinebaugh indicated that his former position as economic development director would be helpful in addressing economic growth from a commissioner’s standpoint.
“Growing and maintaining a vibrant economy — providing good jobs — is a big challenge. It’s difficult to have a good quality of life, or be happy, if you don’t have a good job,” said Hinebaugh. “This challenge has to be addressed from both a short-term and long-term perspective.”
Beard said the biggest issue facing the county is the state shifting more fiscal responsibilities onto locals. He listed the state taking away the highway user revenues and the wealth formula as examples.
“Garrett County has more problems with the roads than any other county in the state due to the amount of roads and the severe weather in the county,” said Beard. “We have taken a tremendous hit as far as funding for education goes. These issues need to be addressed but there is no easy answer. You don’t know what’s going to transpire until you get into office.”
Gatto agreed that the issues facing the Garrett County public school system are unfunded mandates and the wealth formula. Legislation passed that mandates the state to supplement shortfalls in the state aid formula. A study of the wealth formula is planned to begin in the fall of 2014 and is expected to be complete by 2016.
“Education is a big part of what I believe in and I think that we should keep the schools that we have open,” said Beard, who was an educator for 34 years.
Haines, who said that funding the schools is one of the big issues that the county faces, echoed Beard’s sentiment that schools should remain open.
“Every year the rumors surface on closing another school or raising our tax rate to provide the funding needed. Both solutions are unacceptable,” said Haines.
Haines suggested that reducing the size of local government and eliminating unneeded county facilities would help solve the school funding issues.
“We must become a smaller and more productive local government,” said Haines. “Let’s start running our county with the best interest of our residents in mind and not the best interest of our local government.”
Hinebaugh also stressed the importance of education, noting that educational attainment is a short-term challenge that needs to be met in order to grow the economy.
“There is an abundance of data that supports the importance of education — lifelong learning is a function of educational attainment, the vast majority of future jobs will require education or training beyond high school, etc.,” said Hinebaugh.
Hinebaugh stressed the importance of residents having a marketable skill.
“The county is very fortunate in that it has a great public school system and an excellent community college,” said Hinebaugh. “The best way to address the educational attainment issue is to make sure these institutions remain robust and are adequately funded, and that people understand the importance of education.”
Maroney said that the key to making the county a better place is to work together.
“We have to all work together — Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent or unaffiliated. Local or visitor, old or young, we must unify and make things better,” said Maroney. “If we do not, we will become no more than a footnote in the margin of the book that would be the history of Appalachia.”
Like most rural jurisdictions, the county also faces demographic challenges in the long term, according to Hinebaugh.
“The county’s population is relatively stagnant and aging,” said Hinebaugh. “It will be a challenge to grow — or sustain — the local economy over time if businesses can’t find sufficient employees. … It will require creative thinking and innovative action.”
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
