Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

It is with a grateful heart that I humbly ask for your support in my run for Columbia County Commissioner both in the primary on August 4 and in the general this coming November.

The first and most obvious question is why am I seeking this position? After being approached by several different individuals over the past few years and asked to consider running and after much consideration and prayer I concluded that it would be an honor to serve my community in this manner.

Columbia County proved to be a great place to raise my kids and I want to do my part to make it an even better place to see my grandkids grow up as well.

A bit about myself. I've been involved in ag production my entire life and always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit.

When my father in law, Don Howard retired and I had the opportunity to farm his place on the Tucannon beginning in 2001, my wife and I were thrilled with the opportunity.

As far as community service, I have been a volunteer firefighter for 32 years, in Walla Walla county Dist 1 and then transferring here to CCFD 3 when we moved up here. Additionally, I served as fire Commissioner while in Walla Walla county for several years. I've also been active in the Col Co Cattlemen's Assoc for 25 years, serving a term as president and currently as the secretary/treasurer. I've also been a long-time member and board member of Starbuck Community Church. I have also served on the county's Voluntary Stewardship Program since its inception and am currently the chairman.

I don't approach the opportunity of the BOCC with any particular agenda or axe to grind rather view it as a chance to see that the county operates in a manner, both financially and socially, that offer the citizens in the county the best opportunity to live a safe, productive and well-rounded life.

The heart and soul of our area here is production agriculture and the businesses that support it, therefore, the infrastructure that enables these must be maintained and improved on.

It's my hope that I can be effective in encouraging the BOCC to continue to stand as a line of defense between the county and the many regulations, rules and entities that would, rather intentionally or unintentionally, bring harm to that industry.

The social issues that face our county are equally challenging. Most everyone, myself included, has been victimized by crime to some level or degree and in talking to law enforcement most of it finds it roots in the use and trade of illicit drugs. If there were a wand to wave that fixed that, it would have been done long ago but we have to find a way to break the cycle.

Enforcement and prosecution of course are vital and must be encouraged in every way possible but for a long term fix it is critical that we work individually and collectively to change the hearts of our young people.

Hope, self-worth, self-discipline and the desire to improve oneself need to be modeled to our young people. Parents, neighbors, schools, peers and youth organizations with those goals in mind should be promoted.

Should I be trusted with the job of County Commissioner for the next term I can assure you that I will always put the needs of the county ahead of my own ambitions and will act in a thoughtful, conservative manner in all regards, fiscal and otherwise.

Thanks for your consideration

Marty Hall, candidate for Columbia County Commissioner, Dist 2.