By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Unfinished business and the support of voters are the driving forces behind Ellis County Commissioner Marcy McClelland’s re-election bid.
First District Commissioner McClelland was elected in 2014 and has been a part of a commission that has overseen more changes than almost all of the other commissions.
“I think we have made some progress and I wanted too see more of the projects through. That was my goal in 2014,” McClelland said, “and we are almost at the goal.”
Since 2014, Ellis County has completed construction of the Emergency Services building in Hays, completed remodels of the jail and Law Enforcement Center, the Administrative Center in Hays and purchased and remodeled the new Health Department building at 2507 Canterbury.
The county also combined the Health Department and Emergency Services into one department and Rural Fire and Emergency Management into another.
“This necessitated a lot of critical thinking, but I know it saved the county a lot of money,” McClelland said.
She said she would like to see the completion of the remodel at the Cottonwood Extension District office at 601 Main and a new or remodeled shop for Public Works completed if she were to win another term.
But her current term has not been without controversy.
With fellow Commissioner Barb Wasinger recused because of a conflict of interest, McClelland was the dissenting vote against the final plat for the Blue Sky Acres residential subdivision south of Hays.
That vote has McClelland and the county in a lawsuit with landowner Marcy Alice Unrein.
McClelland took the stand in May at a bench trial and defended her vote against the plat, citing potential water issues. She says she stands behind her vote.
“I still feel like it was a discretionary vote. I feel like I have the right to vote how I see things,” she said.
During the bench trial in May, Commissioner Dean Haselhorst claimed that development was being hindered by the lawsuit, but McClelland disagreed with that notion.
“The effect on development is the economy,” McClelland said. “Let’s face it, ag is down (and) oil is down.”
According to information presented each month to the Ellis County Commission, there has not been a noticeable change in the number of wastewater permits submitted to the environmental office in the 19 months since the lawsuit was filed.
“I know the state statues were met, but I was thinking of the 29,000 people of Ellis county,” McClelland said.
While she stands by her vote and will not change it, she said if the judge rules that the development can go forward she will accept that decision.
“But I don’t want anyone coming back on the county because of the decision that they made,” McClelland said, adding that she doesn’t want the county to have to buy seven homes if the water becomes polluted and no one can live in the Von Feldt Addition, which is next to the proposed Blue Sky Acres.
McClelland said she has had good support from Ellis County voters and has not had anyone say that would not vote for her because of the lawsuit.
“In fact, it’s the other direction,” McClelland said. “The support (on this issue) is another reason I decided to go ahead and run.”
She also understands that any criticism she faces is simply part of being a commissioner.
“You are on the hot seat when you’re up there, and I’m open to that,” McClelland said. “You have to make decisions of, by and for all of the people not just a few.”
If re-elected, McClelland said the budget will again need to be a focus.
She said as a taxpayer the goal is too keep the mill levy low but, “I desire services, so there’s two ways too look at it.”
McClelland applauded county employees for the efforts in keeping their budgets low.
“I don’t think they overspend. Just because its in the budget doesn’t mean they spend it,” said McClelland.
With the 0.5 cent sales tax that was used to pay for the remodeling of the Law Enforcement Center and jail and the construction of the Emergency Services building set to sunset later this year, McClelland said she would be open to the idea of keeping that tax in place to help pay for infrastructure.
“In some ways, I am in favor for keep that and putting that into a fund for roads and bridges because its almost time for bridge inspections and most of the bridges in Ellis County are over 75 years old,” McClelland said.
McClelland said she also aims to be a voice for the people of Ellis.
“The people of Ellis need to have a voice over here (in Hays), just like the other people, sometimes people forget that the county is the whole county and not just the city of Hays, and there is a lot of difference between the county and the city,” McClelland said.
McClelland faces Butch Schlyer in the Aug. 7 primary.