Interview with Justin Aldred, candidate for Boone County Southern District commissioner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Democrat Justin Aldred is seeking reelection to keep the title of Boone County's Southern District commissioner. He is running against Republican Sam Turner for the position.

The Southern District, also known as District I, represents the southern and a portion of the western part of Boone County. Aldred was elected to the seat in 2000.

Meghan Drakas: So to start off very easy. Who is Justin Aldred?

Justin Aldred: Yeah. So I'm Justin Aldred. I have the honor of being the Boone County Southern District Commissioner. You know, I first came to office in 2021. Prior to that, I was with the Missouri Army National Guard with the 175 Military Police Battalion. I also had time with the Missouri State Auditor's Office under Nicole Galloway. And, you know, that kind of sparked an interest in local government. My time in Jefferson City at the auditor's office. And in 2020, I decided to run for office. And here we are.

Drakas: And what is the importance of having a county commission?

Aldred: Well, I think it's everything that we do. When you wake up in the morning and you drive down a road, you're trusting Boone County crews for road maintenance, bridge maintenance when you're in an emergency situation, dialing 911, you're trusting that there will be a competent Boone County Joint Communications employee to answer that call when disaster strikes, when a tornado hits or, you know, severe weather, you're trusting that tornado sirens from Boone County Office of Emergency Management will go off to warn you. So I think it's all of those little things that people don't necessarily think about on the day to day, but all those things that people expect from government, you know, those are all the things that Boone County is involved with.

Drakas: And what do you think are the biggest issues for Boone County voters right now?

Aldred: Yeah, right now, you know, it's what I hear on the doors. It's what I hear people tell me, you know, and there are several. I think that there is a big issue with housing, not just in Boone County, but nationwide. We are projected I mean, it's a significant number to need 37,000 additional housing units by 2050. That is a daunting number that's going to require us to work not just with local government, but with private businesses, with individuals to make sure that we can build, to meet that need, to make sure that we have policy that meets that need.

There's also issues in food security, making sure that people can afford to put food on the table. We're seeing, you know, almost 10-year highs right now. You know, talking to the food banks, you know, over 12,000 people, I believe, in the month of August visited our local food bank. You know, that's Boone County residents that need to put food on the table. So that's a significant issue. The other one is child care. And especially I'd like to look at it as child care is workforce development. So we've recently looked at a regional law enforcement training center expansion for our sheriff's office and our first responders. And I think that that's something where we can see if we can get child care to them and we will with this new pilot program, you know, will be able to really build workforce development out of that.

Drakas: And I want to go off a little bit of what you said about needing more housing in Boone County. According to the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness, it currently sits at around 400 people in 450 people in Boone County, which is about doubled in the past year. So what would you do differently if reelected?

Aldred: Well, I think, you know, what we're looking at right now. We've made significant investments in different organizations. Columbia Housing Authority, Love Columbia, Central Missouri Community Action. The commission has invested heavily in those types of programs. And it is, you know, making sure that we have transformational change for those individuals as well. You know, trying to get those numbers up working, whether that be on local or whether that be with nationwide program. That's, you know, something that we want to focus on. I think there's also something to be said for the individuals that may have a place to rest their head for the moment, but may be insecure in that, you know, the individuals that might be involved in our public school system, children specifically, that don't necessarily have a place to stay every night when they go home. That's absolutely significant. And I think that's where our focus needs to be.

Drakas: And you've served in this position since the end of 2020. What have you learned in the past few years and kind of why should voters reelect you?

Aldred: Yeah, you know, I think the one biggest lesson I would take away from this is that the pothole in the road does not care if you vote red or blue. Every individual is affected by the core tenets of county government and by life in Boone County. There is significant need and there is there are things that we can do when we work together, specifically in local governments working with nonprofits, when we're working with businesses, when we're working with our regional and economic development partners.

There are still things that I'd like to get done in my time. You know, like I said, we worked on the pilot for the regional law enforcement training center. We've invested heavily in food security. But, you know, those are still things that we'd like to see through to the end.

Drakas: And why do you think you're the better choice for Boone County voters compared to your opponent?

Aldred: You know, I try not to focus too much on my opponent. I don't think it's good for incumbents to focus too much on the challenger. But ultimately, I am here to do everything I can to ensure that my community is a better place. And I see the public service that I do with my community working every day as an extension of the public service that I first committed to when I raised my right hand and enlisted in the Army.

Drakas: And Justin, is there anything else that you would like voters to know?

Aldred: Yeah, You know, I would humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 5, But specifically, I would ask that when you vote in November, that you take the time to vote all the way up and down the ballot.