Brad Rogers wins Elkhart County Commissioner District 2 seat
ELKHART, Ind. -- Republican nominee Brad Rogers defeated Democratic nominee Donald Brown for the Elkhart County District 2 Commissioner seat.
Elkhart County is governed by a board of three county commissioners. The Board of Commissioners are responsible for county buildings, lands and property, authorizing payments and supervising county departments.
Rogers said he hopes to continue being accessible to people of the community, even those who might disagree with him.
“I always try to aim to work towards community and working towards things that we can agree on -there is always going to be things that someone’s not going to agree on and I get that but we want to try to better our community for the things we can,” Rogers said.
Rogers said he is grateful for everyone’s support during this election and he is excited to finally get started.
Brad Rogers
Republican nominee Brad Rogers is the former Sheriff of Elkhart County and current corrections commander. Rogers grew up in Elkhart County and has served the community for over 33 years. He started as a patrol officer and continued to advance until being the elected Sheriff from 2011-2018.
Rogers believes his experience as a county employee and elected official provides him with the knowledge needed for how the commissioner’s office operates. If elected, Rogers wants to improve the communication’s strategy within the commissioner’s office to provide reliable information for the public to access.
During the COVID-19 crisis, according to Rogers, it is important to have health official’s recommendations and schools reopening clearly publicized. He also wants to fully support the county during this crisis while not overreaching constitutional authority.
Regarding the courthouses, Rogers is in favor of ameliorating the space needs and security, however, believes it can be improved without purchasing new land.
According to Rogers, the COVID-19 crisis has impacted many county projects and that there needs to be a full assessment of funds to proceed responsibly with any major project involving taxpayer dollars. Rogers also hopes to better utilize the existing budget through efficiencies in technology county-wide.
Rogers believes in serving the county and always being accessible to listen to the concerns of the community.
Donald Brown
Democratic nominee Donald Brown is a military veteran and current CEO of Superstar Showcase Entertainment, a promotional business with national and international reach. He is currently on his third year of serving as the third Vice President of Elkhart County NAACP and also chairs the Criminal Justice Department. Additionally, he is the Vice Chair for the City of Goshen Community Relations Commission.
Brown grew up in Elkhart County and wants to serve on the board of commissioners to represent more of what and who Elkhart County is. He wants to provide voters with the opportunity to choose a moderate candidate who can work with all parties. If elected, Brown wants to expand roads and infrastructures. He believes Elkhart County needs more bike paths along county roads as well as more handicap accessible areas in park, parking lots, and buildings.
One current conversation among the Board of Commissioners is consolidating the two court locations in the county into one. Brown believes it would be easier to have one location for better security and transportation. He believes that despite the COVID-19 crisis there is funding to complete this project.
Regarding better utilizing the existing budget, Brown believes the board can bring more money to the county by applying for grants from federal, state and local fundraisers or other opportunities.
Brown believes that all people of Elkhart County should be heard.