Martin looks to bring experience to Parke County Commissioner District 2 Seat

With a background in law enforcement and the military, along with a four year stint on the Parke County Council, Cameron Martin is running for the Parke County Commissioner District 2 seat to bring fresh ideas and present leadership to the seat. 

"I was born and raised here and have lived here most of my life. This is home and because it is home, it is near and dear to my heart. Seeing some of the things that have gone on the last couple of years, I decided to run," Martin told The Parke County Post. 

Martin will be one of three Republicans challenging incumbent Bruce Hartman for the Parke County Commissioner District 2 seat in May's primary election. In addition to Martin, Hartman faces a challenge from Daniel Jensen and Jeffrey A. Ramey. 

Martin said having served on the county council gave him a perspective and an understanding that the "purse strings are tight."

"There is only so much money to go around and so much we can do with it. Our big chunk of the budget right now goes to insurance for employees. It is very costly to the taxpayers when there are other things we need to be getting done. That is just one issue. Proactive leadership is another. I am not trying to take away anything from the current office holders because they are all phenomenal human beings and I have a lot of respect for them, but it is a very telling story to me when I have office holders from our neighboring counties reaching out to me to tell me they are glad someone else is running. That is a profound statement from somebody who doesn't live here. Our leaders need to be present, actively engaged in what is happening and proactive. We have not had a lot of that," Martin said. 

Martin said complacency in government can ruin a lot of things. 

"When that complacency sets in, it can ruin everything. Everything that you worked hard to build, every relationship, every good thing that you thought you did goes by the way side because you got complacent. It takes a lot to come back from," Martin said. 

He said his time on the county council gave him a "good perspective."

"Prior to getting there and getting elected, I didn't have a full understanding or comprehension of how much I was going to be involved and how many different conversations I would be having. While on the council, I was on the phone multiple times having conversations about various topics and things I was involved with on a regular. I was able to see all the things going on. I could see how when commissioners wanted to present things to council, it was only ever one person showing up, one person doing all the talking and in the four years I served on council, we only had one meeting with the commissioners where all of us were actively working together. We need to be hearing from more than one person all of the time. There are three people on that commission for a reason," Martin said. 

Martin said roads and bridges are also a "hot topic" in Parke County. 

"Proactive and present leadership is a big part of it. The current administrator of the highway department is doing a good job, but I also think he came into a situation where the previous guy wasn't focused on the job and had a lot of other things going on that took him away from his normal duties. I have not met the new guy yet, but have talked to him on the phone and he seems to have a good handle on things. The best answer is give him time to work and figure things out. I don't know everything and don't have an answer for everything, but I am not afraid to ask for help," Martin acknowledged. 

Growth is another hot topic in Parke County, and the Republican challenger said in order for Parke County to grow, it has to be willing to grow.

"From my point of view, we haven't been willing to do that unless you are Dollar General. I say that in jest, but they pop up everywhere. The willingness to grow is number one. We have to be willing to do things that create an environment that is supportive of that growth. For a long time, there has been agriculture and tourism here. Tourism is very finicky as weather and time of the year plays a big part in that. Outside of the 10-day covered bridge fest, our big draws are our three state parks and a county park, all of which do very well, but they only do very well from April until the end of October. When that season goes, so does the traffic. We still have traffic because we have two major US highways, but people aren't stopping and spending all day here. We have to find ways to get people here and keep them here. While I think low income housing serves a purpose, I do not think it is a final answer. We have to be doing more to attract business and people who want to live here and not just have a vacation home on the lake. We have a large number of homes here that aren't lived in a large majority of the year because they are vacation or second homes. Because of that, we lose a lot of revenue. We have to find ways to make it more appealing for people to live here and businesses to set up shop here. Small towns across the country are not thriving or growing," Martin said. 

Martin said if people want active and present leadership, they should select him in the May primary.

"I am from here. I care, and this place means so much to me. I would like to think the people know I am not doing this for an extra paycheck or extra benefits, but rather I want to serve. I am well into adulthood and I have made my adult life about serving others. I would like to think people know that. While we may not agree all the time, I hope people know I will do what I think is right. I am about as real as they come. I am not here to be a typical politician. If I say I am going to do something, I am going to do it, but if I can't, I will let you know. You have to be transparent, open to communicate and talk and be active," Martin said.