Incumbent Bingham County Commissioner faces challenger in the primary

BLACKFOOT – Two candidates are hoping to become their party’s nominee in the Bingham County Commissioner’s race.

Republican incumbent Jessica Lewis of Blackfoot is being challenged by Republican Eric Jackson, also of Blackfoot.

EastIdahoNews.com sent the same questionnaire to each candidate. Their unedited responses, included below, were required to be 250 words or less.

Visit Lewis’s Facebook page here. Jackson’s Facebook is available here.

The primary is May 17. The general election is Nov. 8.

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Lewis: I am the daughter of Barry and Brenda Adams and was born and raised in Blackfoot. I became interested in the public sector after participating in an internship with Bingham County and after attending a Youth Leadership Forum in Washington D.C. during high school. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from Idaho State University.

I went to work for Bingham County in 2010. I worked in the Election’s Office and then became the Administrative Assistant to the county commissioners. In 2016, I was accepted into the master’s program at ISU and with the support of my husband, Logan, and my children, Jaxon and Tally. I was able to continue to work and go to school at night. I graduated in May of 2019 with a Master of Public Administration Degree with an emphasis in State and Local Government. In January of 2019, I took office as a Bingham County Commissioner.

I serve on numerous committees and boards in my role as County Commissioner. I have been selected by my peers to serve on the Idaho Association of Counties Board of Directors, as an alternate on the IAC Legislative Committee and as a member of the IAC Value Litigation Fund. I am a member of the Blackfoot Soroptimists, have volunteered my time with Relay For Life, SEICAA’s Stone Soup, Bingham County’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, Bingham County’s Christmas Tree Fantasy, as an election poll worker and with the Parent Teacher Organization at my children’s school.

Jackson: I was born and raised in Bingham County on a dairy farm. It’s where I found my love of agriculture and a strong work ethic. I’m a fourth-generation resident that chose to raise my five children in Bingham County. After farming, my professional path has included positions for the University of Idaho Extension in Aberdeen, Snake River School District, and Bingham County, and I have held an I.R.W.A. Water Certification for 10+ years. I am also a member of the Intermountain West Building Operators Association. I have made volunteerism an integral part of my life and have continuously volunteered in youth programs, scouts, schools, local theater programs as well as at my church.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your personal life or career?

Jackson: Without a doubt, my family is the most important part of my life and I am so proud of my five children and all they have accomplished. I am also proud of my current role as a supervisor for the Bingham County Maintenance Department, as well as the way I have worked in the all of the roles I have held. I know that I have gone above and beyond to ensure that the researchers, teachers, and now citizens, that depend on my work can count on me to find a solution to their problems. Outside of work, I have enjoyed being a part of community initiatives, including being a part of the committee to update the Snake River Auditorium.

Lewis: I am most proud of my family; I have been married to my wonderful husband for 17 years and together we have two amazing teenagers. With a lot of help and support from my family, I was able to raise my children, work and not only receive my bachelor’s degree, but also my master’s degree from Idaho State University. A Master of Public Administration is a master’s degree in public affairs that prepares recipients to serve in executive positions in municipal, state, and federal government. This program prepares the candidate to deal with specific challenges faced in public administration, including policy development, management, and implementation. This degree has been extremely helpful to me in this position, especially in the budgeting, policy, legislation, Economic Development and Planning & Zoning issues that are frequently at the forefront of what I do as a commissioner. It was hard and took me nearly 15 years of juggling all these things, but I am very proud of myself and thankful to my family for being able to accomplish it.

In my professional life, I am proud to serve as Bingham County’s first female County Commissioner. These accomplishments were recently recognized when the Idaho Business Review named me one of their 2022 accomplished under 40 award winners.

Why are you a member of the Republican party? Briefly explain your political platform.

Lewis: I am an active member of the Republican Party and currently serve as the Youth Committeeman for Bingham County. The Republican Party is the party of liberty, of equality, of opportunity for all, and favoritism for none. Some of the most important things to me are having a limited government and protecting property rights. As a member of the Republican Party, I strive to be civil, honest, and informed in all my discussions, actions, statements, and political processes.

Jackson: I am an enthusiastic member of the Republican Party. I believe capitalism and free enterprise is what has made our nation the greatest nation in the world. The more freedom we have, the more we will prosper. My platform addresses the concerns in the area around growth and our communities’ futures. 

I want to bring structure and long-term sustainability to growth in Bingham County. Our agricultural economy and rural setting will always be my priority but our young families also need jobs and homes. I will work closely with community leaders to create a unified plan, leaning on the professional opinion of the Planning and Zoning committee, and look at every application on individual merit.

In my current role, I work closely with both county and city leaders. I would like to continue to foster a great working relationship to enhance our community’s quality of life such as creating job growth and protecting our parks and natural areas.
 
Above all, I want to be a person that our community members feel like they can approach with their issues.

Please explain the role and responsibilities of the County Commissioner?

Jackson: A County Commissioner is a part of a three-person governing body. They oversee county administrative decisions on topics like ordinances, budgets, and zoning. The job of the County Commissioner is to listen to their constituents and try to come up with solutions to the pressing problems in the community. I believe they should work closely with professionals in the community, such as the Planning and Zoning department, to address growth that Bingham County is currently experiencing.

Lewis: I am seeking reelection as the Commissioner, representing the third district of Bingham County. A Commissioner is one of three administrators for the county. Their responsibilities are as an Executive, Legislative and Quasi-Judicial body. This means that the Board has the authority to adopt ordinances (laws), manage contracts and properties for the county, approve the payment of expenses, set the budget for the county, as well as make decisions on planning and zoning and property value decisions. One of a commissioner’s most important responsibilities is to be fiscally responsible with the public’s money.

What are the greatest challenges facing your county?

Lewis: As reported by East Idaho News in December 2021, Idaho leads the country in population growth. This growth was not isolated to 2021 as it was the 5th year in a row that Idaho has led the nation in growth. Bingham County has experienced the same increase in growth over that same time period. Housing is badly needed in all of southeast Idaho, including Bingham County. Agriculture is an important part of our community, so the challenge becomes trying to house a growing population and preserve some of the most productive agriculture land in the world.

The challenge faced at the county level is striking a balance between private property rights and the public interest. Restricting development or adding further land use controls will aid in the preservation of agricultural land, however it will also result in a continued housing shortage and even higher housing prices. This will make housing less affordable to middle and low-income households. There is currently not enough affordable housing for grown children to obtain their own home in Bingham County.

Jackson: We are experiencing unprecedented growth in our county and state. Our resources are not limitless. Water rights and how best to distribute the water in the future is another major concern. Our number one challenge is how to support and sustain our agricultural economy while enabling our children and grandchildren to buy an affordable home and live the same lifestyle we have enjoyed. We need a long-term vision for sustained growth, not just a quick response to a rising demand.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views?

Jackson: My days are spent troubleshooting problems. I am a natural listener and pride myself on always finding a solution. I believe I am the type of person – regardless of party – that constituents will feel like they can approach with their issues. I truly want to serve the community that has given so much to me and my family. I will never take any situation lightly or at face-value and promise to look closely at every side of an issue, weighing each problem on individual merit. I will strive to find a solution that will be beneficial for all sides, but I also understand the need to make a fair and firm decision when necessary.

Lewis: All decisions I have made are based on historical and legal research, consistency, fairness and public input. I also always try to explain the processes I used to reach my decision. As an example, the Bingham County Commissioners passed a resolution to be a Protected Second Amendment County last year. Before this was done, I worked with the Executive Director of the Idaho Association of Counties to review state statues pertaining to gun rights, researched what other counties and states have done on this topic, met with legal counsel to ensure it would accomplish our goal of preserving citizens Second Amendment rights, met with constituents and got public input to ensure that the resolution was exactly what it needed to be. By doing things like this, all constituents, no matter their political views, have an opportunity to provide input that is used to make the decision.

How can you encourage or improve relationships with cities and other municipal or educational entities within your jurisdiction?

Lewis: First, it is important to understand that the roles and responsibilities of counties differ from those of cities and school districts. To have a good working relationship with these entities you have to take into account that their goals may not be the same as yours because of these different responsibilities. Once this is understood, having the conversations that need to be had is the next step, realizing that you may not come to the same conclusion. But that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to work together. Recently, Bingham County was able to work with the City of Aberdeen to consolidate law enforcement and IT services. By working together on this, it lowered costs for the City of Aberdeen and helped Bingham County provide better services to the southern part of the county.

Jackson: As a part of my current role, I interface with city personnel and government agencies on a daily basis. I want to continue to foster those relationships. We have a shared interest – and I believe – the best interest of our communities in mind. Regular communication on all topics that overlap with the city and state entities is essential. If we work together we can co-create a great future for our communities, natural areas, businesses, and citizens. 

What are your views on local and state media organizations. As an elected official, how would you work with the media to help inform the public?

Jackson: As a Republican, freedom of speech and the press is essential in my view. The more our elected officials can be transparent with the community, the better. As commissioner, I would encourage transparency in my role and among my fellow commissioners. I would encourage the media to report on public meetings and be an essential part of keeping our citizens informed of the decisions being made in their community.

Lewis: As Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to James Currie on January 28, 1786, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” A free press ensures that our government answers to the people. We must maintain local and state media that is independent, neutral and will investigate and report on the actions of our government.

Local and state media is vital in communicating with the public. In my current term, the way the public seeks and receives its information has changed considerably. Bingham County is not well represented by its own media outlet and relies on those from surrounding communities to provide news. Local newspapers are dwindling but the service they provide, such as providing public notices, are still very important. It is necessary to take the time to reach out to media outlets to let them know what is happening in the county, instead of waiting on them to contact you. As more people turn to the internet to research, become informed, and seek news, I think it is important that elected officials work with media outlets that offer online content.