HANCOCK COUNTY — The longest-serving member of the Hancock County Board of Commissioners says he won’t seek a fourth term in office next year, paving the way for a wide-open race. At least one candidate, the deputy chief of police in Greenfield, has already said he plans to run for the seat.
In a Facebook post late Tuesday night, Brad Armstrong announced his decision to not run in the 2020 election. He has represented District 3 — Blue River, Brandywine and Sugar Creek townships — since 2009.
“I had always wanted to serve my community and give back, and being elected commissioner has let me fulfill my goal,” Armstrong wrote in the post. “I have worked very hard to represent my constituents with dignity, honesty and fairness in all situations. I take pride in what the Board of Commissioners (has) accomplished over my tenure and will continue to work diligently until the end of my term.”
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Armstrong, 49, told the Daily Reporter on Wednesday that working as a commissioner — essentially a second full-time job — has been a “balancing act” between that job and running his family business, Armstrong Garage Doors. He said it’s a struggle to find employees, so he handles a lot of the work himself as owner.
Heading into his 12th year on the board in 2020, Armstrong said he and his fellow commissioners have accomplished much for the county. They worked to turn around the county’s “dire financial state” in the late 2000s and also helped create a system to rate county roads for a new paving program, Armstrong said. He also lobbied in Washington, D.C., for federal dollars to pay for parts of the Mt. Comfort Corridor.
Shortly after he started as commissioner in 2009, Armstrong said, he had to deal with the corruption in the county auditor’s office. Former auditor Linda Grass resigned and faced several felony charges, including bribery and theft. Also, the commissioners received computers and started using county emails when Armstrong took office, heightening the level of accountability and professionalism, he said.
Armstrong said the current group of commissioners — which include John Jessup and Marc Huber — has worked hard to find a solution to the county’s overcrowded jail, a project that is OK’d for construction.
He said he’s appreciated serving as commissioner and working with constituents to solve county issues.
“I’ll continue for the next year to represent them well and do what needs to be done from county government,” Armstrong said.
Before Armstrong publicly announced his decision on social media, Matt Holland, deputy chief for the Greenfield Police Department, created a campaign Facebook page and said on Monday that he planned to run for the District 3 seat in 2020. Armstrong beat Holland in the GOP primary in 2016.
Holland, who’s in his second term on the Sugar Creek Township Board, said community service is his passion. The 41-year-old Hancock County native been a police officer in Greenfield since 1998. He said his education background, work experience and life experiences make him a well-rounded candidate.
“My core values are integrity, honesty and loyalty,” Holland wrote in his Facebook post. “When concerns or issues arise I feel that I tackle them with a common-sense and level-headed approach.”
Holland, a resident of New Palestine, told the Daily Reporter that, if elected, he would focus on building better infrastructure and roads throughout Hancock County; bringing businesses to the county that provide well-paying jobs; and advancing the county’s project to build a jail. The correctional facility is slated to open in spring 2021, shortly into the first term of the new county commissioner.
He said he would also bring transparency and accountability to the commissioner position, adding he has ideas on how to correct current inefficiencies in county government.
Local politics runs in Holland’s family, he said. His grandfather, someone he said he looked up to as a child, served many years as a Fishers councilman.
“I’m just very comfortable with it,” Holland said about politics. “It sparked my interest at a very young age.”
Holland said he plans to keep working for the police department if he’s elected. He has enough vacation and personal time built up to use to attend the commissioners’ monthly meetings, and his superiors have OK’d him running for office. Holland said that might mean working more evenings for the police department, but his family is on board with the potential for added responsibilities and busier schedule.
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Name: Matt Holland
Age: 41
Office sought: Hancock County Commissioner, District 3
Occupation: chief deputy for the Greenfield Police Department
Family: Wife Becky, two children
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