Beech Tree News Network

To whom it may concern,

            A very exciting time is upon all of us, election day. It is a day full of possibilities and, with the current political climate, perhaps some fear. I hope we have all decided to do perhaps the most American thing there is, VOTE. This country is founded on the equal power of each citizen to choose their representation on the local, state, and national level. Do not take your role in this government for granted, for we alone have the power to decide where the future takes us. I hope you will use your power to make the best possible decisions for yourself, your family, and your community. Making intentional decisions in local elections is a direct way to impact our day-to-day lives, so I hope we take these seriously too. There are two candidates running for the Judge/Executive position in Butler County. Each candidate has run a clean campaign, which is an example for how elections should be run. With that being said, I believe there is only one logical option for the future of our community. I am confidently and deliberately choosing to endorse candidate Mark Mudd for the Butler County Judge/Executive position because of his education, multifaceted plan for our community, and diverse set of experiences.

            The Judge/Executive position is a figurehead for our community in the state government, but it is also a job with monetary benefits. The Judge/Executive will be salaried at approximately $81,000/year of your tax dollars. By effect, we are more than voters; we are employers. It is our responsibility to hire the best possible employee to work for our community. Just as any job application, education and experience/work history are the two most important indicators for success in the workplace. This election is no different. Mark Mudd is the only candidate with the education and work experience required to work for our community. Why is education important? Advanced education enables us to recognize problems and develop effective plans to solve those problems. Mark Mudd was educated and trained as an engineer which is a difficult and very respected educational program. Mark Mudd developed a problem list for our community and developed detailed plans to solve those problems well before this campaign began. Mark Mudd more than completes this education requirement on our job application for Judge/Executive and I am confident he can use these skills to evaluate multiple plans and options to find the best direction for our community.

            Next, valuable work experience is an essential box to check on our job application for Butler County Judge/Executive. Mark has worked as an engineer all across the state and has made MANY valuable connections to resources that our community could utilize for success. One person cannot solve our problems; it will take a team. Who better to build this team? Mark has done the work to prepare for this position. He has done more than attend meetings and events. He has listened, evaluated, and developed plans to start working immediately if he were selected for this position. Make no mistake, if your candidate did not come prepared to this campaign to speak on the SPECIFIC needs of our community, then he will not come prepared to work for our community every day as Judge/Executive. Mark Mudd is prepared and excited to work for our community and he has the diverse set of work experiences and connections to do so.

            Finally, references are a final portion of a job application. References give an idea of someone personally. I would not have taken the time to write a letter for anyone else to run a community that I hold so much love and respect for. Butler County will always be my home, no matter where I end up. It is a place drenched in history and love. It is rare to find a place where a community can rally around families in need, create wonderful music by a mural, and cherish their neighbors every day of the year. That is the Butler County that I will always love. I endorse Mark Mudd with the highest regard and I have an immense amount of respect for the life and work that he has done in our community. There are many others on social media and other formats who share my belief in Mark. So, I would say his reference section is positive too. With that, our job application is complete, and Mark Mudd is an obvious choice for the next employee for our county. On Tuesday, November 6^th, I hope we all make our own decision to vote what is best, because your opinion is the only one that matters once alone in that voting booth, not your political party. On Tuesday, make a decision that you honestly believe will leave Butler County a better community for everyone in 4 years. I think it is time to Believe in Butler County Again, because I believe that Mark Mudd is the man who can help us do it.

Warm regards,

 Austin VonAxelson