Two candidates are running for a position on the November ballot to elect Moniteau County's next District 1 Associate County Commissioner.
The winner of the Republican Primary on Aug. 4 will run unopposed in November for a four-year term. The Democrat gave both candidates the opportunity to respond to a series of questions about their experience, why they chose to run, and their goals while in office.
Noland Porter
Incumbent Noland Porter, 61, and his wife of 23 years, Lisa, are lifelong residents of Moniteau County and live in Jamestown. Porter has two children, along with three grandchildren, who also reside in Moniteau County.
Porter is the youngest of 10 children born to the late Raymond and Wanda Porter. He owned and operated Porter's Painting & Wallpapering for 30-plus years, which is now operated by his son. He is an active member of St. Paul's Evangelical Church and has served as a church deacon in the past. Porter graduated from Jamestown C-1 High School.
"As a small business owner, I know the challenges that small businesses face," Porter said. "Small businesses must be more resourceful and work harder to be successful. The same is true of rural communities. If re-elected District 1 commissioner, I will use these same small-business skills and work ethic when handling the county's affairs."
Porter said his familiarity with the county's roads and bridges, the work that goes in to piecing together budgets for the county, and the goings-on in the county courthouse will all be context he will lean on if re-elected. He said it was difficult to know just how much goes into the position prior to actually serving in office but will use that experience well to be effective in another term.
"An elected office, whether at the local, state or federal level, is a public servant and, as such, works for the people. If re-elected, I would like open communication and input from county residents. My door will always be open. I will work hard to represent the residents of Moniteau County the best that I can, with the resources that are available."
With the recent passage of Proposition P in June's municipal election, Porter said he hopes to help guide spending of the new sales tax dollars coming into the county to effectively improve and maintain the county's roads and bridges, along with continuing with the work he's done since last elected. Porter said he's thankful for the support of the county's voter in getting the measure passed, which will help with a number of improvements.
"We're living in a different time, there is more traffic and heavier equipment driving on our roads," Porter said in regard to how road improvements should commence. "Using white rock for our gravel roads would solve a lot of the problems we are currently having, and would lead to less maintenance and further cost saving across the board.
"Moniteau County has been good to me and is a great place to live, work and raise a family. We are blessed to live in such a caring community. I pray the Lord will continue to bless us with good fortune. It would be an honor and privilege to continue to serve as your District 1 commissioner. I would appreciate your support on Aug. 4. Please exercise your right to vote."
Porter encourages voters with any questions or concerns to contact him at 573-690-5260.
Clint Hoellering
I'm running for this position to simply make a difference! I want to be a man of action and not words. I feel there needs to be accountability and presence to be successful in this position. That means showing up and being seen. When calls come in, I want to personally go speak to taxpayers and try my best to address the situation at hand with the manpower and resources I have available while using a common sense approach. Also, I want to use a conservative approach to wisely use the budgets to get the most for our citizens without raising taxes.
What I feel best separates me from other candidates is my hands-on experience of farming, rock/gravel work and concrete, along with operating equipment for over 25 years. I have had numerous experiences of repairing the roads, brush hogging, cutting brush, fixing ditches and trimming limbs just to simply get our equipment down roadways. I've done many concrete jobs around the area, along with countless rock driveways and private lanes. My two-year education in welding at Nichols Career Center, where I finished top in my class, gave me the understanding of what preventative maintenance and repairing is. Being a farmer and independent contractor throughout my life, I understand the meaning of making dollars stretch and how to budget and, if elected, I plan to use those budgeting skills to best serve our community.
To sum things up, if you would like to see change to your roadways and bridges in District 1 for the next four years, I ask for your support and would appreciate your vote on Aug. 4 in the primary election. I feel blessed to be a lifelong resident in our community and would be honored to be given the opportunity to serve Moniteau County. Thank you and God bless.