The four candidates seeking to gain the GOP nomination to be on the November ballot for Christian County judge executive met in debate Friday evening.
The forum was hosted by the Christian County Republican Party and Christian County Young Republicans, and allowed Katie Moyer, Tommy McGraw, Daniel Mason and Jerry Gilliam to field questions, express their priorities and explain policy stances. Farmers and agriculture play a big role in the county, and Gilliam says government needs to be a help, not a hindrance.
Mason says there are things that must be addressed at once if he’s elected, including public safety, housing and county-wide infrastructure.
McGraw says the state of housing in Christian County and city planning is badly in need of modernization to pave the way for development of all types.
Moyer says the county may be limited in the revenue avenues, but it is not limited in its advantages and options for growth and investment.
Transparency and budgeting were a big topic of the debate, with all candidates agreeing that fiscal responsibility is of utmost importance, with McGraw saying the time Fiscal Court meetings are held should move to the afternoon so more people can attend, Mason saying the budget should be easily accessible online for people to read, Gilliam saying he would like to expand the budgeting presentation process to better allocate funds and Moyer says she would like have more accountability and transparency within the departments on spending in their individual budgets.
The entirety of the debate, along with any others held by the Christian County Republican Party, can be viewed here.