Why Do I Want To Be Jefferson County Commissioner?

When I ran for Senate District 38 in 2020, I spent a lot of time following the happenings in Jeff County and what all it took to make the county function. While I lost by 57 votes, I got an education on what goes on behind the curtain in keeping the county operating.

Being county commissioner is no easy task if you do it right. I had always thought of it as roads, bridges, the dump, and using your money to pay the bills. But it is so much more.

To do this right, you have to be actively involved with the various citizen-led organizations that seek to improve the county. For example, the Jefferson Local Development Corp, The Boulder Transitionary Advisement Committee, The Community Transition Advisement Committee, and Whitehall Community Sustainability Committee, which has partnered with the Golden Sunlight Mine. And so many more. I have learned that it is best to be aware of, if not involved in the happenings along the county border in other counties.

You have to pay attention to what all the different towns in the county are up to and assist them as you can. See to the maintenance of county property. Shops, Rodeo Grounds, County Offices, and such. And of course, bridges, roads, and dumps.

There is dealing with state and federal government, with all they have to offer or burden the county with. The state and the federal governments have mandates that counties must follow. Most of these mandates are unfunded and are a burden to the county. So, the commissioners have to juggle limited tax dollars to make it work. After all, only D.C. seems to find it legal to run in the red. It's unlawful for a state, county, or city to run in the red. Obviously, this limits what can be spent in the county, and wasting tax dollars is not an option

With Leonard moving on to greener pastures, I am hoping to step in.

I read this questionnaire that asked 'Why Do You Want To Be A Commissioner?' It had example answers to choose from.

- Concern over a particular issue: No. You cannot step into a job like this with a single issue on your mind.

- Others are urging me on: Well yes. But you have to want to improve things for the county and those in the county. If you think of this as a paycheck, you shouldn't bother to step into it.

- Opportunity to advance my career: I think it might be a bit late to be furthering my career. Prestige? Really? I have seen how some people react to this office.

- A stepping stone to a higher office: Uhh....no.

- Desire to build a better future for my county: Absolutely. The question is what do the citizens want that future to look like. An example would be growth. Growth is important to the survival of a town or county. But what does that growth look like? How fast should that growth be allowed?

I would like to apply what I have learned in 67 years of success and mistakes to the business of running the government.

I think that to be an effective commissioner you must be ethical. Listen to your community. Be honest and open. I have no plans of creating and setting the world on fire changes. I know that I cannot make everybody happy, only pizza can do that.

Sooooo...I am asking for you to vote for Jim Buterbaugh for County Commissioner of Jefferson County District 1.

Message me at jimforjeffco@gmail.com, visit Jim for Commish on Facebook or leave a message at 406-491-6995. I would be happy to meet with anyone for coffee and trade ideas and thoughts.