Three candidates are vying in the May 4 winner-take-all Republican primary to replace Commissioner Bill Hullander, who is giving up what appeared to be a safe seat to challenge incumbent Carl Levi as county trustee. Chester Bankston, Gary W. Neil and Richard Tornquist all are cut from much the same cloth. Each is generally conservative, though they differ somewhat on specific issues, and each pledges to honor the will of district constituents if elected.
The question, then, is which candidate can provide the bold and forward-looking vision that will best serve District 9 and Hamilton County residents in what promises to be four important years of economic development and associated growth. Though each of the hopefuls has qualities to admire, Gary W. Neil is best suited to serve as District 9 commissioner.
Mr. Neil, an electrical contractor and a neophyte in politics, is well-spoken and thoughtful. He seems knowledgeable about the general issues that will confront Hamilton County — taxes, schools, infrastructure needs, managing growth, possible consolidation of city and county services, etc. — in the future. More important, he appears open-minded and willing to adjust his views on vital issues if facts and circumstances convince him that such change is needed.
Neither Mr. Bankston, an electrical contractor, nor Mr. Tornquist, a retiree with extensive public and political service, seem quite as adaptable. Mr. Tornquist, for example, is much less doctrinaire on the subject of property taxes and other issues, but his candidacy seems more rooted in the past than in a thorough understanding of Hamilton County, its residents and its needs.
Much of his platform and many of his ideas, it seems, are tied to what he accomplished as mayor, councilman and law enforcement officer in Franklin, a medium-sized town in New Jersey. It is highly doubtful, however, that past experience in a place so different from Hamilton County would prove to be a useful template should he be elected to the commission.
Mr. Bankston, a member of the Hamilton County School Board whose tenure there has reflected little vision, seems mostly happy with the status quo in District 9 and the county and, consequently, unwilling to take a broader view of what might be required to strengthen and expand the county’s foundation for growth and prosperity. Such foresight is a necessity if the county is to prosper in coming years.
All three candidates reflect the generally conservative views — opposition to increased taxes and annexation and a wary view of consolidation of government services foremost among them — of the residents of District 9. Mr. Neil’s energy, his business experience and his stated willingness to study the issues and to make decisions based on community need rather than district and partisan politics suggest he is the most likely of the trio to provide the progressive, impartial and visionary leadership both District 9 and Hamilton County require. We recommend his election.