Page 4 August 9 and 12, 2016 Sublette Examiner and Pinedale Rounup Vote in Sublette County

Questions
Dr. David Burnett

Kendra Cross

Tami Crosson

Richard Griffin

Now more than ever, our

county needs strong leadership and experience to ensure the wide variety of
services we offer our citizens. I know I can help provide this.

To give a voice for the

next generation. I believe
we must learn from the
past, honor the present,
and prepare for the future
of our community.

I want to serve you by providing conservative leadership and vision for the
future, prioritizing accountability, transparency
and budgetary restraint.
Making the right choices
now will ensure a bright
future.

I believe there is a need for

new ideas and interest. I
also feel the taxpayers of
the county want and deserve to be more informed
and involved.

Four years ago, I brought a

rational, data-driven approach to governance in
Pinedale and strove for
truthfulness, integrity and
respect for the dignity of
the public whom I served.

Besides the
economy, whats
the biggest
challenge
confronting the
county and why?

Health care. The current

system is in jeopardy. To
maximize chances for successful management and
operation of a health care
delivery system for our
county, it will require the
collaborative efforts of
multiple boards willing to
compromise in governance.

Tensions of ideals. With

the cultural climate and
demographics of the
county changing, we need
to listen to each other and
work toward solutions that
work for all of us.

Ensuring that we have

meaningful input and influence at the local level addressing federal land
management policies and
decisions, which directly or
indirectly have profound
impacts upon our livelihoods, recreational pursuits, culture and our daily
lives is of critical importance.

I think the need for new

economic development,
curbing federal overreach
and health care.

The volatility in the natural

gas extraction industry
could be mitigated by partnering with operators and
pursuing value-added industries locally. Diversifying our economy is the
primary challenge facing
the commission and just
saying I support business
doesnt cut it.

What do you see

as the top three
priorities of a
commissioner
and why?

1. The ability to listen and

have an open mind. Problem-solving begins with
listening to all views and
opinions. Our system of
democracy is built on the
idea that citizens should
have a voice in their own
governance.
2. Honesty. It is the foundation for trust. Commissioners should not have
hidden agendas or motivations.
3. Commitment to the
needs of our county.

Transparency, community
involvement, active listening. Informed decisionmaking is key to be an
effective leader. Listening
to and following up on
criticism from the community is essential for
trust building. It is important to make budgetary decisions with our whole
community in mind and
always with a vision to the
future.

Commitment to budgetary
restraint, transparency, and
promoting the general interest of the county as a
whole should be the top
three priorities of a commissioner. The citizens of
Sublette County deserve
nothing less than an efficient, accountable and informative
government,
which levies taxes and expends revenue in amounts
no greater than necessary to
meet these important objectives.

Overseeing the economy of

the county, community involvement and building a
trusting relationship with
the community.
I believe its the commissioners responsibility to
maintain financial stability.
I believe its important to
build a good working relationship with the taxpayers.

Fully fund nonprofits that

keep our communities
functioning.
Increase
transparency by posting an
agenda with background
information. Aggressively
recruit business opportunities which add value to natural gas, including one to
build a natural gas-fired
power plant in Sublette
County.

Are you for or

against the
proposed critical
access hospital
and why?

The decision to establish

the proposed hospital is the
responsibility
of
the
SCRHCD.
The commissioners question then becomes what
taxpayer revenues or assets
will be used for funding assistance and safeguards
concerning future required
obligations if the SCRHCD
projections change.

The CAH will offer services that we are all already

paying for, has a shortterm return on investment,
and will expand health opportunities for all individuals who live here. I
support the expenditures
required to achieve CAH
designation.

I have toured both facilities, which are exceptional,

as are the RHCD staff
members. I have requested,
but failed to receive, financial documentation from
RHCD executive leadership, preventing me from
formulating an educated
opinion about the practicality of CAH designation.

I am not convinced that the

hospital is the cure. But I
do think that its an important enough issue that the
commissioners need to be
involved in finding a solution.

Absolutely support it! All

studies show that the farther one travels to a hospital, the worse the outcomes
when critical care is
needed. We, in Sublette
County, are more remote
than in any of the studies
Ive read.

With more than

$165 million in
reserves when
and for what
should it be
tapped into?

Reserve funds were set

aside to provide for the essential needs of our county
in the event of future
shortfalls in revenue. As a
commissioner, I will prioritize those needs. I will
support those services necessary to sustain and maintain the health, safety and
security of our communities.

We need to develop a vision for the county and a

long-term plan to achieve
it. The commission must
be strategic in allocating
funds, encourage relationships between programs
and entities for creative
funding and optimized solutions, and be held accountable for what the
community wants. Focusing on the wellbeing of all
people in our community
must be a priority.

Funds held in reserve

should be expended only
to maintain essential governmental functions and
maintenance of existing
vital infrastructure. Any
entity requesting reserve
fund allocation should be
thoroughly vetted as a prerequisite to disbursement
in an effort to validate
prior prudent budgetary
planning, as well as efforts
undertaken by the entity to
obtain supplemental funding from other sources
when possible.

I think it should be considered on a case-by-case

basis with the health care
issue possibly being one of
them.

Tapping into the rainy day

fund when revenue is at its
lowest point in a decade
seems obvious. The Draconian cuts the commission
implemented were harmful
to many residents and were
not necessary.

How would you

maintain/improve
the countys voice
at the federal
level?

Interagency and intergovernmental cooperation is

an essential aspect of successful county government. I have experience
coordinating such interactions as a school board
member (school district,
town, county, state and
federal levels). Sublette
County is an integral part
of our state and nation, and
I look forward to improving our voice.

Utilizing and supporting

the activity of people already doing that work. We
should foster relationships
and build trust throughout
our networking chains of
government, nonprofits
and private businesses.
Connections with our state
and U.S. representatives
are key for this and I will
seek out these people to
collaborate.

Only an ambitious fulltime commissioner working in concert with our

congressional delegation
can effectively advocate
against federal rules and
regulations, which unnecessarily and arbitrarily burden businesses and citizens
in Sublette County. I have
the time and resolve to ensure that you have an effective voice addressing
impactful federal issues.

I believe the county does a

fairly good job at this. The
commissioners have a lot
of influence in the federal
decisions affecting us.
Having five commissioners will give more time and
opportunity to be involved
in those decisions.

As per the National Environmental Policy Act, the

commission should ask to
be a joint lead in nearly all
federal agencies environmental assessments within
the county, instead of
merely commenting after
an EIS or EA is already
written. This would ensure
local voices are heard
throughout the whole
process.

Why are you

running for
commissioner?

Tim Lingle