Candidate: Don Mason

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Office Seeking:  District 5 Supervisor

Why are you running for office?

I am running because I care deeply about the needs of the people in our county and how our government functions. All my life I have sought to make my community, state, and country even better places in which to live and to do that we must give the highest priority to considering the needs of our county residents and our neighborhoods. I believe I am well-qualified to help make our county government more open and accountable to our citizens and to better inform them about county business and how and why decisions are made.

What is your background?

I grew up the middle of seven children in a farm family of humble means but I was able to obtain a college education and pursue my dream of being a lawyer. We have enjoyed living in our rural setting in District 5 for nearly 20 years now. I am a retired legal educator and administrator who has carefully observed and studied our government systems at every level throughout my life so I understand what responsible county government should be. During retirement I have been active as a citizen in community affairs and I am well equipped to help guarantee an approach that holds the needs of our local residents and small businesses above those of outside developers and large commercial interests.

What makes you different from the other candidate or candidates in the race?

We may celebrate aspects of the growth of Oxford and Lafayette County but I fear that the commercial and residential development is on the verge of running amok, if it isn’t already; that priority appears to be given to large outside investment interests over the needs of ordinary citizens. It’s time for something different and as an outsider not beholden to any special interests I can offer a new and open approach to government. I am not tied to the past, to the “way it’s always been done.” I have the experience, problem-solving skills, and determination to think outside the box, to offer a different voice for the people in both the city and rural parts of my district, and to move our board of supervisors away from business as usual to look for new solutions for present and potential challenges.

What would be your top priority if you were elected, or re-elected? 

I want to ensure that Lafayette Countians are better informed about what our county government does and is doing, to make it work for all of us. That’s the only way our supervisors can be held accountable to the real needs of our residents. If we are to maintain essential services, promote fair and sensible development, improve our roads, bridges, and recreational areas, provide all our citizens high speed Internet access, and maintain our communities and neighborhoods as inviting places to live, we must hold supervisors accountable to our citizens rather than to outside commercial developers and absentee landlords.