Lind Mayor Candidates: Challenger Larry Koch

Larry Koch

Age: 70

Former Lind mayor Larry Koch has filed for election as the challenger to have the chance to serve in the same position he has 20 years of experience in. Elected in 1990 to serve as the Mayor of Lind, Koch served five consecutive terms at the head of the council’s table.

Koch made the decision to file for election after being approached by Lind residents who asked him to consider filing for the position. Koch began considering the possibility and starting investing the financials of the town to gain a better understanding of the town’s budget since his previous term.

After being concerned about the current finances of the town, Koch began attending council meetings and officially made the decision to file for election.

For Koch, his first priority as mayor would be to operate a balanced budget to ensure the future of the Town of Lind. With 20 years of experience working with the budget and understanding operating costs of the town, Koch has concerns about the current spending of the town and wants to become more involved.

“Not only do I care about the townspeople, I also care about the financials of the town,” Koch said.

Koch continued on to explain his top priorities if elected mayor are, “Cutting of unnecessary spending, keep the utilities down, and be financially responsible with tax dollars. And working with council and finding how to get people into the empty houses, that’s one of the main issues.”

The one area Koch is focused on and believes is unnecessary funding is the hiring of a third full-time employee in the town’s public works department. Koch believes, on his studying of the budget, that the town cannot afford to maintain three positions and thinks two individuals can accomplish the majority of the work.

Koch understands the one continuous department needing funding is the water and sewer portion, as the town is constantly in need of water and sewer work, but believes if employees manage their time efficiently, two employees should suffice to make the appropriate updates.

During his time as mayor, Koch worked with contractors, engineers and the council to help secure over $5 million to benefit the town.

The improvements in the town while Koch served as mayor included the replacing of hundreds of feet of water and sewer lines, resurfacing of streets in the community and adding sidewalks downtown where previously there had not been any.

“You have to stay working on the water and sewer system,” Koch emphasized, “that’s just something that’s always going to be there.”

If elected into the mayoral position, Koch wants to keep the utilities as low as possible for residents, and financially manage the town’s budget conservatively.

Koch understands the raising of utility rates is a burden on residents, but he understands it can be necessary.

“The council would never raise the rates unless they had too,” Koch explained of his terms as mayor. “Maybe we should have been raising all along, but the council preferred to wait until we had too.”

Koch said he knows rates will continue to rise, but they are getting to an uncomfortably high level and hopes the council would only have to raise rates if absolutely necessary.

The money collected from the utilities is essential to keeping the town running and the budget balanced.

“I want to try to maintain the town and make it a livable place. Right now, and people I talk to on the streets, one of the biggest issues of the rates,” Koch said.

“I can’t make any promises to lower the rates,” Koch stated. “The only promise I can do is work it so the town can work with it in the budget, and not get in trouble financially at all.”

Another main concern for Koch is the vacant houses and storefronts throughout the community. Koch’s intention is to work with local organizations and the schools to brainstorm ideas of how to make the community appealing and provide the town with a viable future.

Koch is a longtime Lind Lion’s Club member and remains active in the organization to help promote the community. He hopes organizations, such as a Lion’s Club, Lind Chamber of Commerce and the Lind Schools, can create a strong working relationship to promote the town and create more revenue for the small community.

As mayor of Lind, Koch said one of his first priorities is to have all of the council members gather together with the town clerk in order to have a budget workshop. With at least two new members joining the council this year, Koch said it is necessary to sit down and explain the budget in detail to ensure each council member is knowledgeable and understands the current budget.

Koch is continuing to meet with community members to hear the primary concerns for residents, and wants to bring the concerns to the council if elected mayor. Koch explained everything is done as a council, with the mayor serving as the leader, but ultimately all decisions lie with the council’s decision and he wants to ensure all the council members are informed in their positions.

With 20 years of experience as the mayor of Lind and as a resident of the community for 43 years, Koch believes he understands the primary concerns and workings of the town.

He is prepared and ready to step back into the position to serve the community with his primary goals being to maintain a healthy budget, keep utility rates as low as possible and be conservative with all expenses.