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I’m Jack Miller, and I would like your vote for Columbia County Commissioner District 3.

I was born and raised on a working farm in Prosser, Wash. and, after earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from WSU, I moved to the Dayton area where I’ve lived and worked since 1975. I’ve been married to my wife Barbara for 54 years, and we have two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

I spent 31 years managing the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Farm, and 20 as owner-operator of Barjak Farms here in the Touchet Valley. Besides my family and farming the land, my greatest love has been hunting and trapshooting. I’ve served on the boards of the Walla Walla and Spokane Gun Clubs and was honored to earn a spot in the Washington State Trap Shooters Hall of Fame.

Columbia County seems fractured. Whether it’s in our friendships, government, projects, or even just in how some people speak to or about one another, our community fabric desperately needs mending. I am running for County Commissioner to restore respect and bring truth and honor to one of the most important leadership positions in local government.

Change is constant and inevitable, and I believe the only way we can truly bring positive change to our community is if we work together. There are many definitions of community, but the one I like the best is this: “A unified body of individuals.” To me, this is how we should be able to describe Columbia County – a group of independent-thinking people working toward common goals.

We know how to do this, because we’ve done it before when undertaking huge projects like the Main Street and Courthouse revitalizations in the 1990s; consolidation of city and county police and fire services in the 2000s; and passage of a critically needed emergency services levy in the 2010s. This is who we are when we work together, treat others with respect, and value the good of the community over individual desires.

By successfully managing two farms and navigating changes that have taken place in the agriculture industry, I am able to bring decades of experience to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, including overall farm management, budgeting, maintaining buildings and equipment, and employee supervision. This knowledge gives me a solid foundation from which to lead as we move Columbia County forward.

My priorities are:

• Unite the Community – Find common goals we can all support

• Spend Carefully – Consider return on investment to taxpayers

• Reduce Regulations – Work to change unnecessary red tape

•Improve Human Resource Management – Reduce County department head turnover

•Support County-Wide & Regional Economic Development–Business investment improves our tax base

•Support Fellow Elected Officials – Provide leadership in building consensus

•Focus on Local – Minimize partisan politics

I look forward to serving ALL the residents of Columbia County as your next Commissioner. Visit http://www.votejackmiller.com for more info, and contact me at [email protected] or call 509-337-8822 if you have questions or would like to talk. Thank you for your vote.

-Submitted by Jack Miller.