BasehorInfo.com

July 23, 2008 Chat is closed, read transcript below.

Moderator: Good afternoon. This is Joel Walsh, Leavenworth County government reporter with The Tonganoxie Mirror, Basehor Sentinel, Lansing Current and Bonner Springs Chieftain newspapers. We're chatting today with Marvin Torneden, one of seven Republican candidates for the Leavenworth County Commission, District 3.

Moderator: Welcome Marvin, and thanks for joining us.

Moderator: While we wait for readers' questions, could you please introduce yourself and explain why you are running for the Leavenworth County Commission?

Marvin Torneden: I'm Marvin Torneden, lifelong resident of Leavenworth County, and I'm interested in bringing the government back to the people and holding the line on taxes. I'm married with three children that I raised, so I'm well familiar with the taxes.

Moderator: Seeing no reader-submitted questions, let's go ahead with some that our staff has prepared.

Moderator: What steps would you take, as commissioner, to hold the line or decrease the county's mill levy?

Marvin Torneden: I'd take any steps that would cut down on waste. And make sure, something also the county administrator should be doing, to make the best of the bids. Some people ask me why we have a county administrator after they voted against it, and I say I don't know. I wasn't commissioner at the time. I'm not coming in if elected to get rid of people that's working for the county. There's a lot of good people that are experienced. Just control the taxes and the budget. I don't think any commissioner, experienced or unexperienced is ready for everything.

Moderator: Thank you Marvin. The next question is, "How do you propose the county get ahold of ever-rising gasoline costs before they break our budget?"

Marvin Torneden: That's a hard question to answer. Everybody's coming up with an answer. Some things you do to equipment can make a difference. How you use it and make the most use of it.

Moderator: Alright. The next question is, "Do you support a regional airport for the county? Why or why not?"

Marvin Torneden: If the people vote for it; if there's any taxes. It should be self-supporting and not to be subsidized by the county and not to take a bunch of people's land that they need to live on. And it should be where it provides more tax base for the county. Lawrence is pushing for an industrial airport, which is just six miles from me in that end of the county.

Moderator: Very good. The next question comes from a reader.

mrlewis: Do you support a recycling center for the county?

Marvin Torneden: Only if it's used to the best advantage and cuts down on solid waste, in effect saving taxpayers' money.

Moderator: OK. We have time for one more question.

Moderator: "What is your view of a 'buy-local-first' policy for the county?"

Marvin Torneden: It has to be economical. If it's too much more of a higher price, I'd say no. And be sure it's American if we possibly can.

Moderator: That's all the time we have. Marvin, thank you for your participation. If you have anything more you'd like to say about yourself or your candidacy, please do so. I'd like to remind readers that our next scheduled Web chat is this evening at 6 p.m. with 42nd District State Representative candidate Ted Ingerson.