Todd Smith said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from voters Tuesday as he won a seat on the fiscal court, and he is looking forward to working with newly elected Judge-Executive Chris Reeder and fellow magistrates.
“I’d like to thank everybody that supported me and voted for me. I’m overwhelmed at the turnout and the vote,” Smith said. “I’d like to thank my family for standing behind me through all this and supporting me.”
Smith said he has already spoken with Reeder and the other magistrates who will serve on the court beginning in January, and he believes they share a commitment to working together.
“I think we’re all on the same page as far as wanting to get things moving in the right direction, working together and cooperating and just getting things done without a bunch of conflict,” he said.
Among his priorities are addressing concerns about county spending, improving roads and supporting economic development.
Smith said the county budget and road conditions were the two issues he heard about most frequently while campaigning.
He said residents want to know how their tax dollars are being spent and whether unnecessary expenses can be eliminated before additional taxes are considered.
As a small business owner, Smith said he understands those concerns and would support a new tax only if there were no other options.
He also hopes to see more jobs created locally so residents can work closer to home and young people have opportunities to remain in Adair County.
Smith emphasized that addressing these issues will require a collective effort and time to develop workable plans.
“It’s going to be a group effort. No one person can do it,” he said.
Smith also had kind words for his opponent, Jimmy Bennett, noting that the two remained friends throughout the campaign. He said his opponent called to congratulate him Tuesday night.
“We were friends before this and we’ll be friends after this,” Smith said.
As he prepares to take office, Smith again expressed his appreciation to voters.
“A big shout out to everybody that supported me and voted for me. I really appreciate it and I will try to do my best to live up to it.”
