What they’re saying: As the GOP candidate for county commissioner, Billy Stewart just surprised the Hell right out of me.

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In the race for Floyd County Commissioner (District 3, but we all vote) there’ll be four candidates.

One of them is perennial contestant Tom Lenfert, who is running as an independent. At the moment, he has no identifiable web presence, and even if a web site materializes, it isn’t likely to matter very much.

Previously, I’ve told you who I’m voting for in the battle to replace the incumbent Republican, Steve Bush.

I’ll be voting for Dennis O. Roudenbush, the independent candidate for Floyd County 3rd District Commissioner.

Given the national mood, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that while both independent candidates for commissioner seem willing to be known as such, I can find no record of affiliation on the web pages of either mainstream political party nominee.

One of them is Josh Williams, who is a Democrat. The other is Billy Stewart, a Republican. As soon as Williams posts something of substance, I’ll try to afford him equal time. In the meantime, I saw something interesting on Stewart’s Facebook page.

The text:

Floyd County will be receiving $136 million from the sale of Floyd Memorial Hospital.

Currently there are several plans being considered on how to spend and invest these monies. One proposal is to share some of the money with other local governments.

I’m in favor for the proposal to share some of the money with other local governments.

Under this proposal $20 million would be set aside for projects in the City of New Albany, $1 million for Georgetown and $250 thousand for Greenville.

This would not be direct payments to other local governments but a commitment to spend money on local projects that would benefit those communities.

Let me know your opinion on this proposal as it is your money we are talking about spending.

Are these “plans being considered” originating with Republicans or Democrats? It simply isn’t normal for Republicans on the Hill to be this benevolent. As a helpful hint to Stewart and anyone else considering a CARE package of this magnitude, please consider bypassing the current occupant. We really don’t need another water slide for the dog park.

Shifting to Stewart’s web site, we find another indication that he’s not reading from the usual county political script: Future Growth/Urban Sprawl.

As New Albany is the largest and best-equipped community for commercial growth, the County should be working with the City to help develop these areas. Whether it’s shopping and dining or industrial activities, New Albany has the pieces in place to grow wisely. New Albany success is also the County’s.

Commercial growth has a very limited place in the county. Ten years ago, I moved my family to Floyd County. My wife and I wanted to live in an area that had good schools, a welcoming community and an environment conducive to raising children. We found that and much more in Floyd County. While growth can be good by bringing jobs and much needed taxes to the county, urban sprawl is not. We must strive to preserve these basic traits that make Floyd County such a wonderful place to live.

I’m a bit dizzy. There’s a Republican from Georgetown advocating density for the city and an end to urban sprawl?

And he’d like to make $20 million available for the city’s use?

Admittedly, I’m intrigued. Think about these two words, which Stewart might consider defining more specifically:


PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. 

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