BOONE COUNTY, Ky. — Two Republican candidates for the Boone County Judge/Executive seat are preparing for a key debate starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the Boone County Main Library in Burlington.
Commissioner Chet Hand is challenging incumbent Gary Moore. The May 19 primary election will likely decide the race, as the winner is expected to run unopposed in November.
Despite the title, the Judge/Executive is not a judge in a judicial court.
The position oversees the county budget and serves a four-year term with no limit on how many terms a person can hold the position.
Moore has held the seat since 1998, serving for almost 30 years.
Hand is a newcomer to politics who was elected to the county commission in 2022. Hand has more than 14 years in public service, most notably 10 years in the fire service in Alaska.
Watch below to learn more about both candidates:
I asked both candidates about the biggest issue facing Boone County right now and how they plan to tackle it.
Both immediately brought up growth in Boone County.
“When it comes to growth, that’s going to be the biggest challenge, definitely where the most friction points exist between the residents and the county," Hand said. "People look at it and say, I can’t handle any more traffic on my road, it used to take me five minutes to get out of my driveway, now it takes me 15. I can’t even turn out on the street, there’s so much traffic coming through, so traffic is an issue."
Moore agreed with the growth, but said his experience on navigating that growth will help the county.
“Boone County grows and it’s going to grow. It’s a matter of who has the experience to be able to guide that growth through the next chapter," Moore said. "Close to $500 million worth of transportation improvements have happened during my tenure. I know how to get the money and I know how to get the projects done."
But Hand thinks Moore's experience is more of a detriment to the county; he believes that a fresh look on county plans from new leadership is more important.
“For the Boone County residents, the right thing to do would have been to step aside and say 'you know what, this is, it’s time for the next generation to take over,'" Hand said. "'Three decades is enough, I can hang my hat on the things that I’ve accomplished, it’s time to move on.'”
Moore said every three years, he looks at where the county is and the work he's done.
When asked why he doesn't retire after seven terms, Moore said he still has more to accomplish.
“We’re not finished yet," Moore said. "When I am ready, that the person that does follow me is ready and equipped to do the job. That’s one of the reasons I’m running now, that’s not the case in this race."
The debate is scheduled for 7:00 Tuesday evening at the Boone County Main Library in Burlington.
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