The Carroll County Board of Supervisors’ current chair, Neil Bock, is running for re-election to serve on the county’s executive committee. Bock was first elected to the board in 1992 and served until 2006 when he moved out of his district and did not run that year. He decided to rejoin county government in 2010 and has served ever since for a total of 20 years. Bock says being a supervisor is more than just the Monday morning meetings.
One of those departments is mental health programs. Funding for mental health has been reduced by the state government. The Board of Supervisors used to manage the county’s system, but the state has moved those services to a regionalized organization.
Wages are a hot topic for supervisors since Polk County’s board voted to increase the minimum wage to $10.75 by 2019. The minimum wage in Carroll County is $7.25 an hour, and Bock believe a change from them would be problematic and is not a choice supervisors should be making.
If each county set its own minimum wage, Bock fears it would spur unhealthy competition between neighboring counties. He says, despite all of the difficult choices that are made as a supervisor, helping the county succeed brings a special kind of joy.
Voting for supervisor takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, with all other elected positions. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more from the local candidates in upcoming broadcasts as Election Day approaches.
