March 6 is Election Day. Most of what affects us as citizens and taxpayers is local. It is important that we all vote.
Our current county engineer, Archie Stanley, has been on the job for 32 years, and has been nearly unchallenged in the last eight elections, so he has been awarded the position by default.
Although he is unquestionably an honest and decent person, and should be thanked for his many years of public service, he has stayed too long and he has delegated too much authority and responsibility to employees. He is long past doing his best work for the people of Athens County.
Like any business, we should not only hire the best, most qualified, experienced engineer who applies for the job, but the one who has the best vision, insight, communication skills and attention to detail in responding to our needs and concerns about the current and future condition of our roads and bridges.
Those who drive the county’s back roads will agree with me that road slip areas, rough and uneven surfaces, ruts, soft spots, erosion control, ditching and much needed culvert replacement should be addressed as part of a regular preventive-maintenance program.
Our county back roads are no longer safe for the people who use them regularly, and their poor condition takes a heavy toll on the cost of maintaining our vehicles.
Jeff Maiden is a highly qualified engineer, with an exceptional work ethic, many successful years of operating his own engineering business, and has a strong sense of responsibility toward his community. Jeff Maiden is without question my choice for County Engineer.
For those who agree that our county roads need more than what they have received over the past 32 years, I hope Jeff is your choice, too.
Tim Traxler resides in Millfield.
