Q&A

WITH AUSTIN HAYEK - WEBSTER COUNTY SUPERVISOR

We then moved onto the family farm and I spent 4 years working at Koch Fertilizer as a Process Safety Manager. I was then given a chance to move into occupational safety and took a role with Nestle Purina as the Safety Manager.

WHAT COMMITTEES AND BOARDS WILL YOU BE A PART OF?

I am a part of the Beaver Creek, Ioway, and North Racoon River Watershed Management. Watershed Management Authorities connect cities, counties, Soil, Water Conservations Districts, and stakeholders to engage in watershed planning and management.

I am also the board representative of Drainage District 96, which along with the WMA’s aligns with my background in farming. I have also been appointed to the Conference Board, the MIDAS Council of Governments, GFDGA Primary Sector Committee, Webster County Drug Alliance, and Emergency Management Commission. Many of the roles fit very well with my background and experience and I’m excited to be a part of these boards and represent our county.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS A WEBSTER COUNTY SUPERVISOR?

Throughout the campaign process, I was really able to focus on what some of my objectives would be for the board, and first and foremost was being a good steward of the taxpayer money and looking for ways to bring down our property taxes. I would also like to use my background to help support our Sheriff’s office to continue driving crime rates down, which would attract new business investment, bring in more visitors and grow Webster County. I have also been an advocate for our family farms, ensuring they have a voice at the table and someone fighting for them to continue driving growth in our county. Lastly, I want to ensure we have an adequate focus on our quality-of-life projects as well, including our conservation projects, which would bring visitors and residents alike and grow the county by providing jobs and activities for the entire family.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU’VE LEARNED SINCE BEING SWORN IN THAT SURPRISED YOU OR THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT COUNTY GOVERNMENT?

Being new to any board is always a new experience, this provides a unique opportunity to work for our communities, one of the first things I’ve learned thus far is how the compensation board works. During my campaign I had brought up a plan on how to handle raises for the board, given this topic comes up right away in January I was able to get a quick understanding of the process and what decisions the board can regarding them. After the Comp board makes its reviews and recommendations, the board then decides to accept them, or equally decrease the raises for the next fiscal year. The board could also decide to give themselves 0% if they chose. Being this is all part of budget discussions it’s been exciting to get into this process and really learn these nuances, which has made for an exciting start.