To the editor,

Are you paying attention to what is happening at the County Board level in Ellsworth? Recently, the Pierce County Board of Supervisors voted 15-1 to borrow $30 million of your taxpayer dollars which does not include the $20 million in interest payments and unknown operational costs to build a new Judicial Center in Ellsworth. I was concerned when I heard this, as our taxes keep rising and incomes have not.

My friend, Martin Kretzmann shared his thoughts on this with me. He said that the process for this building has been ongoing for years. The reason so many people were unaware of it was that Pierce County leadership does a poor job at communication regarding important decisions or needs like the Judicial Center. Regardless of whether we need the building, Martin was right in that the county needs to be much more transparent and intentional about how they communicate with the people of the county when it comes to how our money is spent.

Martin is running for County Board Supervisor and he has a much needed new perspective. He is paying attention, going to meetings and asking questions. I continue to see large sums of money being spent or voted on locally, so I’ve been paying more attention. The county leadership is bursting at the seams with the Good Ol’ Boys Club and "Yes" Supervisors. We've known this for years. Obtaining up-to-date agendas or info on votes is difficult because of random meeting times or lack of information and does not make it easy to learn what is happening. It’s time for a change. We need someone who will encourage the board to be transparent, to educate us on what's going on and why it might be important to us. Then we can make an effort to be a part of the process.

Martin has the experience of caring about people and their lack of finances, balancing budgets, working within their means, prioritizing how every dollar is spent, and if it is necessary or just a pet project. I know that he cares about our district and won't see us as a blank check. He's the president of a non-profit that houses people with mobility disabilities. He understands hardships. He is truly an invested citizen, husband and father. He's been married for 20 years. His oldest child is a senior and currently the FFA president, his son loves school and excels in trap and his youngest is in the upcoming Newsies Jr. at MMS in RF. I'm proud to be his friend and will hopefully call him my new District Supervisor. Vote with me on April 2 for Martin Kretzmann, District 8.

Lori Close

Town of Martell