A longtime mayor and local of Pottawatomie County is looking to make his way onto the expanded Pottawatomie County Commission.
Terry Force, the longtime mayor of Wheaton, is running in the newly created 5th district on the Pottawatomie County Commission, which encompasses the northern portion of the county.
Force has also been in the surveyor business for over 30 years and focuses on his extensive knowledge of the county. He shared his thoughts on the possibilities of advancing alternative energy in the county such as solar.
“I’ve said before that solar serves a purpose,” he said. “However, I’m very concerned about adding thousands of acres of solar fields especially when we have crops that feed the world in our county.”
Force did oppose the expansion of the commission when it came up for a vote in 2022.
“I was against the idea,” he said. “My thought process has always been that if you don’t like the commission, vote them out. However, the people spoke in favor of it so we are going to accept their decision.”
The 5th district is the largest district on the new commission map, consisting of nine townships. However, the northern portion of the county does not have the large population that the southern portion has. Force spoke more about trying to serve the interests of the 5th district residents who feel they may not receive much attention.
“We have to give them attention,” he said. “But we also need to understand, that everyone deserves equal attention when focusing on the issues of the county. I will obviously serve my constituents in the 5th district but I also want to serve not just them but all of Pottawatomie County.”
Force finally spoke on why he felt he was the best fit for the commission.
“I have the ability to work well with other people,” he said. “On a five-member commission, you can’t just come in and expect to act like you’re the only one that matters. That’s not going to fly. You have to work together to solve these issues.”
Force is one of three candidates running for the District 5 seat. J.R. Bosse and Chuck Depew are the others running for the seat in the upcoming Aug. 6 primary. You can listen to our interviews with Pottawatomie County candidates by listening to the In Focus podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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