Shane Wilkin re-elected county commissioner
By Stephen Forsha
The Highland County Press
Incumbent Shane Wilkin has been re-elected as one of three Highland County Commissioners by an unofficial vote of 10,435-5,783 following Tuesday's election.
Wilkin will start his second term as a county commissioner on Jan. 2, 2013.
"Number one, when public puts trust in you, it's a humbling time," Wilkin said Tuesday evening. "I'm grateful for the support and the vote of confidence.
"Congratulations to everyone who threw their hat in the ring. It's much more than meets the eye. Congratulations to everyone in their campaign."
Wilkin also said: "I want to thank my family for knocking on doors on Saturdays for two months. It's a big commitment. My sister, Tammy, was fantastic, and she was there for anything I needed. I want to thank my wife, Kristy, for her support and understanding the process. It was quite stressful at times, but she was great and gave me a pass once in a while.
"The next four years will have its challenges," Wilkin said. "The county has much more debt than I would like, but I'm excited about the possibilities for companies getting more jobs, and I'm excited for programs with schools."
Wilkin was first elected a county commissioner in 2008. He is also a real estate agent at Prudential Chambers Realty and a small business owner.
On Oct. 8 Wilkin, a Republican, at the 2012 AAUW Forum spoke about the budget in Highland County, saying "the preliminary requests came in at 'just over $9 million, up from $8.5 million in 2012.'"
Wilkin also stated at the AAUW forum about the county budget, "We'll sit down with each officeholder … and give them a final number." Wilkin added that commissioners respect the department heads' decisions on how to achieve their respective budgets."
During his current term as county commissioner Wikin has assisted with bringing jobs to Highland County through PAS Technologies, and the work done to keep C-Mold in Greenfield. Wilkin said that C-Mold didn't just stay in Highland County, but they are doubling their workforce from 40 employees to 80.
[[In-content Ad]]
Losey, a member of the Greenfield Village Council, grew up in the Hillsboro and Rainsboro areas and currently lives in Greenfield. She volunteers with the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools and leads a grief sharing program at the Presbyterian Church in Greenfield.
Losey is also works with the G3 (Greening Greater Greenfield) Committee. The organization looks for ways to create opportunities for the Greenfield area, including community events and green energy initiatives.
"I would like to thank everyone who supported me in my bid for Highland County Commissioner," Losey said. "A special thanks to my family for all the events and parades you participated in and to my husband John for the countless hours of campaigning, putting up signs and going from one event to the next.
"I truly could not have done this without you. I love this community and urge more citizens to get involved. Running for a public office is an opportunity everyone should experience. Remember, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. I wish all the commissioners the best as they move forward. Carpe diem."