The commission chairman, who was unopposed for reelection four years ago, faces two opponents — former commissioner Jack Bass and political newcomer Matt Medders — in the Democratic primary Tuesday. There are no Republican candidates for the at-large post.
Miller, who seeking his third consecutive term as chairman, questioned the motivation of his two opponents during a recent interview.
Bass, a farmer from Warwick, served on the commission from 2002-2006.
It was a hands-on period for the board, which fired its county administrator in January 2003 and didn’t fill the position again until two months ago.
With new clerk Deborah Robinson and administrator Bob Zellner now on board, Miller, 57, said county government is operating smoothly.
“This is the best I’ve seen it in probably eight years. Everything is running like it’s supposed to,” he said.
Miller, who runs Miller Brothers Meat Packing, said while he’s completed basic, advanced and alumni-level county commissioner training, Bass has completed little, and Medders has no experience whatsoever.
“None of them ever come to any of the commission meetings; they don’t know how the meetings go or anything,” Miller said. “I don’t care what position you run for; you need to attend the meetings before you make up your mind that you’re going to run.”
The chairman calls meetings to order, but makes no motions and votes only in a tie.
“It’s a team leader — You’ve got to be in with the team,” he said.
Bass lost his reelection bid in 2005 to commissioner Bettye Bozeman, who he’d defeated four years before for the same district seat, but said he could work alongside a political rival.
“I can get along with anybody,” Bass said. “If they can’t get along with me, that’s their problem.”
He considers Miller a friend but said the board needs new leadership — himself, not Medders.
“I don’t think the county commission jobs are a lifetime appointment. They’re public service to your community,” Bass said. “Whether it is me or whoever, Dan and I are friends. We’ll still be friends, regardless of the outcome.”
While he’s running as Democrat, Bass emphasized the importance of keeping taxes low and government at a minimum.
“I don’t like a bunch of oppressive regulations, and I don’t want property taxes going up, because property owners are maxed out already,” he said. “Also, I don’t want to see county government grow — we’ve got plenty.”
At 26, Matt Medders has worked at Miller Brewing for six years and operated a lawn care business for five, he said. And before that, he worked in customer service at Old Navy in Albany for four, Medders said.
As a shop steward for the machinists union, Medders acts as a representative between Miller employees and management at the plant.
At Miller, however, Medders said he’s missed working with the public on a daily basis.
A concern he’d like to tackle if elected is Worth’s “garbage disaster, I like to call it,” he said. “The biggest issue that I hear each and every day would be putting a garbage pickup plan that’s fair to the citizens.”
Worth County recently raised its monthly fees for garbage collection, and many residents have complained about the quality of the service.
Medders acknowledged he’d never attended a commission meeting, and described his prospective duties as “signing checks.”
“I have got all the minutes for the last eight months, and I’m reading through them,” he said.
He’d like to implement a work recognition program for county employees, he said.
“They do a lot of good work, and it goes unnoticed, for the most part,” he said.