By Julie Johansen
Castle Country Radio hosted the first event in its 2018 Meet the Candidates series on Tuesday in the Spartan Center at Emery High School.
Candidates for Emery County Sheriff and County Attorney were introduced by moderator Andy Urbanik. John Barnett and current sheriff Greg Funk introduced themselves to the audience and listeners.
Barnett, 45-years-old, is a resident of Cleveland. He has been working for the Emery Country Sheriff for 21 years. He is a member of the drug task force and has over 10,000 hours of training, including HazMat and narcotics.
Funk reported that he has been the sheriff for the past eight years but has been working for the ECSO for 22 years. He noted his excellent working relationship with officials in surrounding counties. He has a Bachelor’s degree in business management, which he said has been beneficial to him as he has worked with the budget of the sheriff’s office. He stated that the ECSO has returned over $1,000,000 to the county during his tenure as sheriff.
The moderator then asked each candidate the same 10 questions, which were submitted by members of the community. Their answers were timed and responses alternated.
Following the questions, each candidate was given three minutes for final comments. Barnett said that as he contemplated running for office, he had to step up and try or he would have regretted it, as he has gained much from the community and wanted to pay it forward.
Funk stated that his love of service brings him to the candidacy. He pointed out that he had been part of this area for his entire life and he loves the lifestyle here. He has worked closely with Utah State Legislature and realizes the position is a 24-7 job, 365 days per year. He said he has given all he has and will continue to do so.
Next, the candidates for county attorney, Mike Olsen and David Blackwell, followed the same format, introducing themselves, answering questions and giving final comments. Current attorney Olsen spoke of his feelings for Emery High School and all it has meant to him and his family. He added that he has been the county attorney for four years. Before that, he was an assistant to the county attorney for four years. He expressed his gratitude to run as a republican.
Blackwell introduced himself as a resident of Emery County since 1992. He served as Emery County Attorney for 21 years and had “no major issues” during those years. He added he has never left his residence in the county.
Each candidate was then given the opportunity to answer 10 questions in the same format as the former candidates. Final statements were then presented by each hopeful candidate.
Attorney Olsen said it was a great honor to work for Emery County. He explained that he wants to serve those who have raised and nurtured him. He announced that his office, in cooperation from other offices, has been able to secure a victim’s advocate for the county.
Blackwell started his closing remarks by stating that he is essentially a republican. He decided to run unaffiliated so that everyone could vote and because he wanted no political ties to the office. He said he was dedicated to the constitution of the United States and Utah. He was pleased with the current commission and wants to see Emery County move forward.
Next up in the Castle Country Radio Meet the Candidates series is an event on Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. Hosted at the Utah State University Eastern’s Jennifer Leavitt Student Center, candidates for the Utah State Representative District 69 seat and Carbon County Clerk/Auditor will be in attendance. Republican Christine Watkins and democra Tim Glenn are hopefuls for District 69 while Seth Marsing and Salika Laulu Merrell are both vying for the position of Carbon County Clerk/Auditor. Members of the community are welcome to attend the event or listen live on KOAL FM 107.3/AM 750 or access the live stream at www.KOALitv.com.
Any voters that would like to submit a question to the candidates may do so by emailing election2018@koal.net. It is noted that not all questions will be presented due to the number of candidates and time constraints.
