Why are you running for office?
The lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife, children, grandchildren, career and life all here in Hancock County. We are all called to serve, and I have spent the last 34 years preparing to serve as Hancock County commissioner. Throughout these years, quality of life for Hancock County families has been my focus. I will continue and vigorously pursue higher income jobs, better education, better roads and more amenities that bring outside dollars into our community and increase property values.
What makes you a qualified candidate for the position?
I started building my qualifications with a business management degree form Ball State. After college, I became a Hancock County sheriff’s deputy reserve. The sheriff’s department is the largest part of our county government, and the ten years I spent as a reserve has proved to be valuable experience. After leaving the sheriff’s department, I was elected to the Greenfield-Central School Board for three terms. After serving on the school board, I was elected to the Hancock County Council and am presently serving my second term on the council. During this 34-year period, I have served in all these capacities while being vice president and now president of Fisk Services.
What are your top three goals for the position?
Quality of life has to be one of the most important goals of which the commissioner deals with; these issues include safety, roads and bridges, traffic, zoning, promoting and attracting amenities and growth. Another goal is to include new programs that deal with mental illness and addiction in our judicial system, which is a major part of solving our long-term overcrowding issues. A third ongoing goal is economic development. Higher paying jobs and benefits should be the focus when giving tax incentives to a company wanting to locate here. A rise in income creates, attracts and maintains better retail, restaurants, health and wellness services; along with schools and quality of life.
What are the most pressing issues facing Hancock County, and what can the county commissioners do to help?
Commissioners play an important role in economic development. In the last few years, we have almost eliminated unemployment in our county, but our average income is still low and not growing at the same pace. A lot of higher income earners work here but live in another county. When encouraging new companies to look here, these factors should be front and center to the discussions. We also have traffic issues. As new federal and state infrastructure dollars become available, I will work hard to get our share to help finish the major road projects that have been identified, but are slowed down because of lack of funding. The expansion of our criminal justice system is another pressing issue, discussed in the next question.
Do you support construction of a new criminal justice facility? Why or why not?
Our criminal justice facilities are overcrowded, and we need to expand the number of programs we have to hold and rehabilitate violators. Programs such as addiction treatment, work release and home detention don’t require maximum security cells. We also need to be able to separate inmates with mental illness. I believe we need to first create and expand all minimum security programs, taking, treatment and helping as many inmates as possible out of maximum security. These programs have proven to greatly reduce the amount of inmates returning to jail once released. We have a unique opportunity to not just incarcerate violators but give them a second chance (at) a normal life.
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Name: Kent Fisk
Age: 55
Party: Republican
Office sought: Hancock County commissioner
Occupation: President of Fisk Services
Political experience: 10-year member of the Greenfield-Central School Board; Five years on the Hancock County Council
Family: Wife Kim, three daughters, two grandchildren
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