FROM THE DESK OF SENATOR DAVID LONG
The upcoming primary election will see several very interesting local races for county office. By far the most compelling to me, because of its influence and long-term consequences for Allen County government, is the County Commissioner’s race. Commissioner Ed Rousseau has decided to retire after three decades of hard working, effective public service to our area. Part of Ed’s reason for quitting now is no doubt influenced by his ongoing bout with cancer, which he has bravely and fiercely fought for several years. Ed Rousseau deserves our gratitude and our respect for the indelible impact he has had upon so many critical projects for our area, including the GM plant and the Coliseum renovation. He is a good man, and he will be missed.
His replacement will inherit some very difficult times for County government. The cost of providing services continues to increase at an alarming rate, driven mostly by the criminal justice system. Between the courts, the jail, community corrections, probation, and especially the juvenile justice system, there seems to be little in the way of relief from the escalating costs of these programs. The problem is compounded by the fact that county revenues are diminishing, caused mostly by the aggressive annexations of the City. State law concerning local income taxes require that a citizen’s tax payments must go to the City once you are annexed, so the County loses that revenue. When the Aboite annexation occurs beginning in January 2006, the County will take a significant economic hit.
For this reason alone, it will be extremely important to choose the right person for the Commissioner’s job.
There are three individuals vying for the Republican nomination; Mike Cunegin, Herb Hernandez, and Nelson Peters. I know each of these men, and they are all quality individuals. However, in my mind, one person stands head and shoulders above the rest: Nelson Peters.
I’ve known Nelson Peters for a number of years, and I can personally attest to his qualifications as both a candidate, and as a person of high integrity and character. Nelson brings a unique set of qualifications to the job: he served as a county councilman for almost a decade, and then left to work in the private sector. He has been very successful; in addition to being an executive for a thriving regional company, he is also an owner of some small, successful regional factories. And nobody ever gave Nelson a handout; whatever he has achieved has been through his own hard work and sweat.
Lets look at Nelson’s qualifications to explain why I feel the way I do about his candidacy:
Nelson, while working full time and raising two children with his wife Tammy, went to night school and obtained a masters degree in public administration from IPFW.
Early in his career, he was head of human resources for Allen County, where he learned the “ins and outs” about how the county operated.
He later became the human resources director for the City of Fort Wayne, where he developed a reputation as a fair but no nonsense leader.
During this time, he successfully ran for the Allen County Council, where he stood out from all the other council members as a “bottom line” guy who looked out for the taxpayers’ money first, last and always. Sometimes he ruffled some feathers by asking questions that others didn’t have the courage, or the will, to ask. But while asking those tough questions, he was always a gentleman, and he was always fair. Isn’t that what we want our leaders to be like?
After ten years of service, Nelson retired from the County Council to devote his full time efforts to his business career. As explained above, he has been very successful, and he has done it on his own, which I greatly respect. It bears saying that Nelson is the only candidate who has had to meet a payroll, and set a budget. He is also the only candidate who has created jobs for our area through the growth and expansion of his small businesses.
On top of all this, Nelson is a devoted family man. I can attest to the fact that he and Tammy have raised two great kids.
Nelson Peters is the rare individual who has had experience at the county level as an employee and as an elected official. He is recognized for his sturdy, reliable leadership in both the public and private sectors, and he is highly respected in the community by both Republican and Democrat alike. He is the right man for the job.
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