DECATUR — Bob Clinard, the Republican candidate for Benton County Judge, visited the Decatur Chamber of Commerce on June 7, the night before the run-off election.
Clinard won the runoff election on June 8 with 67 percent of the votes, easily defeating incumbent Dave Bisbee. In the November election he will face write-in candidate Jeff Broadstone, of Decatur.
Clinard told the chamber that he was born and raised on a dairy farm south of Oklahoma City. He studied construction management at Oklahoma State University and has worked in the construction business ever since in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. He owns Clinard Construction Management of Bentonville.
Clinard said his construction experience is something that will help him oversee the new buildings the county is planning.
“I can build roads and I can build building,” he said, pointing out that he has built thousands of buildings throughout his career.
Clinard said that of the county’s $40 million budget, almost $9 million are spent on roads. Clinard said he hopes to improve roads while spending less by subcontracting some of the roads and labor. Almost all of the roads have been cut down over the years,and need to be built up, he said.
Clinard said he plans to determine which roads to fix first by creating a spreadsheet to rate roads on a one to 10 scale forfactors like condition and amount of traffic.
“Right now the roads get fixed based on who complains the most,” he said.
Clinard said he is big on communication, and believes in talking with people, whether it’s the public or his employees. Clinard said he plans to hold regular “county hall” meetings, and also plans to have his own Web site and e-mail so he will be easily accessible.
“You’ll be able to contact me and we’ll talk about whatever is on your mind,” he said.
Clinard said that Gary Black will be his second in command. Black served eight years as Benton County Judge.
“I’m my own man... but it can’t hurt to have his experience to get me up to speed quicker,” he said.
News, Pages 2 on 06/16/2010