So that’s what county commissioners do
Until recently, I didn’t even know what county commissioners do, so I sometimes skipped that part of the ballot.
It turns out that the three members of the Sullivan County Commissioners form the county’s executive branch: They make the annual budget that keeps things running day to day, manage county property and contracts, and hire and oversee department heads.
Jim Bednar and Benjamin Nelson (not to be confused with Bennie Nelson, who is also running) both have deep roots in Sullivan County and are experienced and responsible managers. It is significant that George Hebert, the Republican current vice chair of the Sullivan County Commissioners, is supporting both Jim Bednar and Benjamin Nelson, who are both Democrats.
I feel grateful to these two for running to ensure trustworthy local stewardship of Sullivan County.