Today, probably by the time you read this, Gabe Shepherd will have been sworn in as our county’s newest commissioner – he replaces Xan Augerot, who declined to run for a third four-year term.
Posted below, we share audio of Augerot’s exit interview conducted by County staff, and Shepherd’s appearance for an Advocate CitySpeak Candidate’s Debate as he ran to replace her.
Augerot touches on many of the contemporaneous issues facing the county – homelessness, social and mental health services, funding, and the landfill – but she also compares her work over the last eight years with her prior roles, and talks extensively about the ins-and-outs of governing on a day-to-day basis. It’s a little bit softball, but still well worth a listen.
Shepherd’s debate appearance was the opposite of softball – touching on the same contemporaneous issues with the alacrity that comes with seeking office. His opponent was not easy on him. With Shepherd’s swearing in, he joins Nancy Wyse, who has been freshly reelected to a second four-year term on the Board, and Pat Malone who is the middle of his second term. The Benton County Board of Commissioners, basically, leads our county’s government. The Board’s seats are partisan, and area voters have exclusively elected Democrats for many decades.
Xan Augerot exit interview…
Gabe Shepherd debate appearance…
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