The following candidate questionnaire was separately filled out by the four Republicans running for Newton County Presiding Commissioner in the Aug. 3 primary election.
The winner of this race will face Democrat Robert Brumback and Libertarian Roxie Fausnaught, both running unopposed in the primary, in the November general election.
Responses are published here in alphabetical order by last name.
NDN: What are your qualifications for being Presiding Commissioner?
BALL: Living in Newton County virtually all of my life, I feel that I know the county and the people better than my other opponents. Also, being involved in the newspaper industry – specifically the Neosho Daily News for 10 years – I know what it takes to have an effective county government. I also have been involved in the resurrection of several small daily newspapers, transforming them into award-winning and profit-making newspapers. At one specific paper, I took over as general manager in the spring with the paper significantly below budget in revenue and over budget in expenses. At the end of the year, the paper was under budget in expenses and was making a significant profit. The next year, the profit doubled and the expenses were once again under budget. I have proven that I can manage a large budget and get the most out of the money coming in.
MCCULLY: I spent six years on the East Newton School Board, two years as president; four years as mayor of Granby; three years on the Granby city council; I am past president of the Granby Saddle Club and am a member of the Granby Fire Department. I have owned and operated three successful businesses in the past.
NOWAK: I am a married father of six, an honest active church member and law abiding citizen of Newton County who has developed several successful manufacturing businesses.
In the 70s, I was instrumental in the enactment of the zoning and clean water act in Minnesota.
RUESTMAN: I’ve resided in Newton County for about 45 years. I specifically served the citizens of the county for 17 years but, in a nutshell, I served eight years as the State Representative for the 131st District, which encompasses all the small villages and small towns in Newton County. And I believe I have been of service to every one of them. In Stella, I helped them remove the old hospital building. In Silver Creek, I helped them with their sewer system. In Loma Linda, I worked diligently to help them get a stoplight on Highway 43. In Fairview, I helped them get a new fire truck. In Diamond, I helped them with their water and sewer system. My experience speaks for itself. Anyone is welcome to call any of those folks in any of those towns to prove that I care about them. And contrary to what might be said, I have never represented any part of Joplin.
NDN: Why do you want to be Presiding Commissioner?
BALL: I want to be Presiding Commissioner because I want to serve the people of this great county. I feel that with my background and with ability to be a team player with the other two commissioners, I can be a significant attribute to the county commission.
MCCULLY: I want to serve the residents of Newton County to the best of my ability to make our county the best that it can be. I will be an active commissioner, always available and always looking for ways to improve our county.
NOWAK: I believe that Newton County is the best place to live. It is my hope that by listening to the residents of this county, we can change the things that need to be changed to make Newton County a more efficient and environmentally-friendly county.
RUESTMAN: I hadn’t really given this much thought until last January when I went back to legislative session and I received a call from some officials at the county level who were very concerned that Newton County was going to be mandated to move into First Class status immediately. I worked with others to buy Newton County more transitional time through legislation and I’m proud to say I was instrumental in getting it passed. Consequently, the County of Newton will now have several years to get prepared to move up into that First Class status, which will require expenditures of several hundred thousand dollars. It will eventually happen, however, and the real reason I agreed to jump in this race is that I think I have the exact qualifications to help Newton County through this transitional period. The statutes requiring this are very, very complicated and I really think this is the time for me to use the abilities that I have accumulated over the years and help the county I have lived in almost my entire life.
NDN: In your own words, please describe the duties and responsibilities of the Presiding Commissioner as you see them.
BALL: To oversee the operations of the county with the other two commissioners; to help make the tough decisions in the best interests of the Newton County citizens; to represent the people of Newton County by listening to them and taking the appropriate action. I would have a very open and accessible county government. I will be willing to listen to the wants, needs and desires of the constituents.
MCCULLY: The Presiding Commissioner would preside over the meetings of the commissioners. He/she would be responsible for all the day-to-day business of the county pertaining to all county properties and employees. The Presiding Commissioner would also be responsible talking with Newton County residents about their problems and trying to find solutions for those problems.
NOWAK: Being fiscally conservative for a strong, balanced budget. Also, maintaining properly inspected and repaired county roads, buildings and properties.
RUESTMAN: I believe the Presiding Commissioner serves as kind of the chief financial officer with a couple of main duties, one being to oversee a balanced budget. I would be very “sticky” about that. So it’s important that we don’t make promises we can’t keep. I also feel the Presiding Commissioner is the public relations spokesman for the county and be that person who represents the county at the state and federal level. I have served in both of those levels. Also, it’s the Presiding Commissioner’s duty to make sure the officials of the county work as a team in a calm and conservative atmosphere. I believe I have the personality for the situations where teamwork is imperative to ensure we have successes in the county. I also believe we need someone who can read and understand the mandates that come to every county from the state and federal government and be able to able to understand which mandates are not funded so we can hopefully get them stopped. So I would add “watchdog” to the duties of Presiding Commissioner, someone who will keep a watch over the legislation that is constantly forwarded to counties.
NDN: If elected as Presiding Commissioner, is there anything you would change or do different from what has been done by that office up to this point?
BALL: We are fortunate to have a county commission that has kept our county solvent and operating well. I would like to have the county commission have a stronger role in short- and long-term planning involving current elected officials, county employees and citizens. I want to encourage our road districts to formulate five-year road plans, if they haven’t already done so. I want to actively pursue all the options available to provide more assistance to our road districts.
MCCULLY: I am not aware of anything in particular that needs to be changed. I am interested in looking into and getting involved in every aspect of this job. I want to find out if anything needs to be changed or if anything needs to be improved.
NOWAK: I would review the road limits on existing roads to save on repeat maintenance. I would look at a way to make it easier to recycle. I would also put incentives in place for those who bring forward ideas that work on saving Newton County money.
RUESTMAN: I want to compliment that office. Newton County presently enjoys a very fine reputation state-wide as being very fiscally conservative. The county is in the black and has reserves. So I would like to maintain what we’ve done. In addition to that, I would like to create a little more public transparency. I would like to have a little more education showing the citizens where the money comes from and break it down to show where the money is designated. I would make myself available to everyone, as I always have, and think I’ve proven that I am available to the constituents. I also think Newton County needs a long-range plan. We should try to work on a one-year plan, a five-year plan, etc.
NDN: What do you feel is Newton County’s greatest need or priority, as related to the County Commission, and what will you, as Presiding Commissioner, do to help meet that need or priority?
BALL: The biggest complaint I have heard during this campaign is the condition of the roads. However, there is no easy solution to repair and maintain the condition of the roads because the road districts are strapped for funds, just like everyone else. The solution is not to dissolve the road districts and have all roads under county authority. The solution is to seek what can be done on a state level by working with our state legislators. We also need to work closer with our road districts to discover their needs, their problems and how to resolve the problems, such as: Providing assistance with manpower, equipment, materials, expertise, etc. The county commission also needs to be award and sympathetic of the road problems throughout the county. Short- and long-term planning is needed to resolve our road problems.
MCCULLY: The most prominent thing that I have heard from the residents at Newton County are their roads. I will look at the budget to see if it is possible to do more work on our county roads.
NOWAK: Creating an environment that attracts businesses into the area.
RUESTMAN: Roads are every county’s top priority. Our roads in Newton County are mostly cared for by the special road districts. I have already met with two of those road districts and will continue to sit down and meet with all of our special road districts to determine ways to improve our roads. As a Presiding Commissioner you need to keep your county united and focused and stay out of the squabble. You need to keep your team together and absolutely need to balance the budget. I have vowed in my political career that I will never push for any taxation without a vote of the people and I would continue that vow.
NDN: Are there any additional revenue sources that you know of and would pursue for Newton County that have not been pursued up to now?
BALL: There always are additional revenue sources. They are called tax increases. However, Newton County is not in the position to even consider tax hikes or additional taxes because our citizens are strapped enough with the current economy. I would like to seek advice from experienced grant writers to see what is out there and what would be viable for Newton County. We have to realize that all city and county governments will be in the same dire budget situations. There is only so much grant money to go around. Therefore, we have to be aggressive with our application process and don’t give up on the first denial.
MCCULLY: I am not aware of any sources of revenue that have not been pursued, but I will look into every opportunity that I possibly can to bring more revenue into our county.
NOWAK: I think that there are resources out there that have not been tapped, including volunteer resources that would save the county money.
RUESTMAN: There have been revenue sources available the last two years through the “stimulus plan” that came down to the state from the federal government. That particular plan ends this January, but rumor has it that there more than likely will be a second stimulus plan that will possibly be thrown out this coming year. So I think it would be urgent that the Presiding Commissioner understand how to wiggle through the red tape and watch that stimulus money. Because there is money in there for roads, for training, and for lots more. We need a Presiding Commissioner that has the contacts and that keeps in touch with the people who sit in those high places and who determine who gets what as far as grants or other funding. I have a network of these folks on the state and federal level and I would not be timid in asking them for their assistance.
NDN: Other than your qualifications as already listed, is there anything else that sets you apart from the other candidates?
BALL: I am not a professional politician, nor do I want to be. However, with the contacts I have made on the local and state level through my newspaper career, I would be able to involve the right people to help with any problems the county may have. I know the county inside and out and I feel that I know what the people of Newton County need. During my campaign, I have tried to talk to as many people in the county as possible. I knocked on the doors and talked with our Newton County residents from Wentworth to Seneca to Loma Linda to Granby to Fairview, and the list can go on and on. The only way to represent the people of Newton County is to visit with Newton County residents. I am the logical person for the job because I care about our citizens. That is the majority of the money I spent on my campaign was spent in Newton County. We need people who care for this county, who will work for this county and who will represent ALL people throughout the county.
MCCULLY: (No response).
NOWAK: The businesses that I personally started have been successful for years.
RUESTMAN: I am the only candidate with the kind of experience that is absolutely necessary for this transitional period of time for our county. I’m a small business person and have been very successful in my business career and I think that’s important for a Presiding Commissioner. I open up my past history to be scrutinized. My family has worked hard. We’re honest people who pay our bills, who pay our taxes and I think that’s very important at this time. I’m serious about a fair representation that will extend across the entire county. To sum it up with the age-old quote: “There is no substitute for experience.”
