Tanner Elliott

Commissioner candidate Tanner Elliott, 18, John Day, is a junior at Grant Union Junior-Senior High School and serves on the county’s Planning Commission and 4-H Advisory Council.

He was elected freshman and sophomore class presidents and is the current vice president of the high school’s Associate Student Body. He is a 4-H county ambassador and member of the Future Business Leaders of America program. He has worked in lawn maintenance and as a lifeguard.

The big issue facing Grant County is the economy, Elliott said.

“We’re going the wrong direction and lack leadership,” he said. “While the U.S. economy is booming, ours is shutting down.”

The county needs more job diversity and a better education system. When people consider moving to Grant County, they look at schools, health care, opportunities for work and cultural or recreational amenities, he said.

Elliott said he opposes a government-owned broadband network because it will lead to higher prices and poorer service. He cited similar networks that failed in Burlington, Vermont, and Provo, Utah. Private companies should provide broadband, if at all, he said.

“We don’t have the economy here to support broadband,” Elliott said. “We don’t need it to survive. It’s not a top priority.”

Elliott said he’d prefer to keep 911 dispatch local, but if the county can’t afford to do that, then it should accept the offer from Frontier Regional 911 for contracted services. He also said he’d like to see the county’s natural resource adviser position filled.

“It would be good to have an expert to advise the county court on minerals, timber, grazing and water,” he said.

Elliott didn’t believe the position was a political issue.

“We have a ton of natural resources here, and we need to put them to use,” he said, adding that he wanted to see them used properly.

Elliott’s vision for the county is to bring back another timber mill, which would lead to bigger schools, more jobs and more competition between existing businesses. He said he supports the Initiative 12-71 to legalize recreational marijuana in Grant County because it will create jobs and provide tax revenue to the local community.

He believes he can be an asset to the county court.

“I have youth, idealism and fresh ideas,” he said. “I’m self-funded and not owned by anyone. And I have no self-interest conflicts.”