Why do you feel you are more qualified for this position than your counterparts? 

I am running for the office of Jackson County Commissioner District 2 not necessarily against anyone. I feel I bring a fresh perspective to the office and a genuine concern and appreciation for the district, which includes the city of Seymour and Crothersville. I have had many discussions with citizens and officials alike in the district, and I feel I can represent them and bring their concerns to the county to find some resolution. I would like to see a more public persona to the position and better response times with more availability for the people of the district. I encourage the voters of District 2 to look into early voting and get those ballots back to the clerk earlier than later. This tough time is going to be very difficult in the voting arena, so I encourage them to stay current on the information coming out of the clerk’s office.

Are there any county services that need to be improved, adapted or eliminated?

I am sure there are several county services that need to be reviewed. Personally, I would like to see the county look into the elimination of the dam in Seymour. I believe that the removal of this would assist in an increased environmental boost in creating a recreational area that would benefit everyone in the region. In addition, we might be able to greatly diminish the flooding that occurs in the Hamilton Township area, which is such a problem with transportation and road erosion during those flood events. The safety issues regarding flooding in this region would also be addressed. I have heard that Lawrence County is investigating the removal of the dam in Williams in hopes of accomplishing the same. I have monitored Mr. Keith Boling and his needs for our county veterans. Due to the county building the judicial center and other projects, I believe their concerns might be able to be served in the old courthouse building in Freeman Field in Seymour. That has been made vacant and has handicap-accessible ramps as well as individual offices to conduct that business as well as the regional sewer district, which is also housed currently in the same location and may be planning some construction to facilitate those needs better.

How would you handle the issues facing the current veteran services office? In previous commissioners meetings, the office was said to be unable to handle the current amount of veterans and the unique issues faced with serving that community.

I kind of covered this on Line 2. In addition, the issues facing the veteran community are not new. I don’t really know Mr. Boling, but I am sure he is in that position because he is qualified and he cares. A discussion with him would probably include a wish list and then accomplish what we can from there. I have found that many times, communication goes a long way in solving some issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced county government to adjust its operations. Things like using Zoom for meetings utilize more current technology than we’ve seen previously. Would you plan to make any changes to the way these things are done after everything settles to update them and use more modern technology? If so, what would you do?

I recently saw a county correspondence concerning a variation in some work that was being done by the Jackson County Regional Sewer District board from the county. This correspondence was typed sometime in the last century. Do I think there needs to be some updating? Absolutely, I do. In saying that, I mostly want to stick by the county budget and see that it truly reflects the county’s needs in the future. As we all know, sometimes, modern technology can be expensive. I know the current administration has worked on this update, and I will continue that and make it a priority.

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Name: Dave Eggers

Age: 55

Residence: Seymour; born in Bedford and lived in Jackson County for more than 30 years

Occupation: Industrial sales

Affiliations: Jackson County Regional Sewer District board, vice president of the Seymour Board of Zoning Appeals and Seymour Plan Commission, treasurer of Knights of Columbus Council 1252, St. Ambrose Catholic Church

Family: Wife, Sharon Eggers; son, Griffin Eggers

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