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Commission-watcher seeks election Walt Fitzgerald will announce today he's running for the county seat held by Ric Holt By DANI DODGE Mail Tribune Jackson County commissioners meet every Wednesday morning. And every week, there's always at least one person in the audience watching and making comments on the ordinances and resolutions being passed. That man is Walt Fitzgerald. But after a decade of being a county watchdog, Fitzgerald is making a bid for a seat on the other side of the dais. Fitzgerald, a Republican, is challenging Commissioner Ric Holt. "Government does a lot of good things - it educates our kids, builds our roads, establishes our judiciary," said Fitzgerald, 54, of Sams Valley. "But in recent times, government has lost sight of doing things for the sake of the people, and instead is doing things for its own sake. "Whatever we do, we have to use the government for the sake of the people." Fitzgerald officially will announce his candidacy for county commissioner position 3 at 10 a.m. today on the old county courthouse steps, 10 S. Oakdale Ave. At 11 a.m., Fitzgerald will hold a no-host lunch at Round Table Pizza, 953 Medford Center. Fitzgerald will face fellow Republican Holt in the May primary. The winner will go on to November's general election, where he will take on Democrat David Gilmour, a Central Point councilman and doctor, and Independent John Michaels, a Medford city councilman and production artist. Fitzgerald said he decided to run because he believes Holt isn't representing the public well, isn't protecting people's rights and civil liberties, and isn't being frugal with the county budget. He said Holt has staked out some hot- button topics - trains and the Elk Creek dam - but otherwise "sits on the sidelines." "Ric is a nice guy, a good old Joe, but he needs to be retired to the private sector," Fitzgerald said. "I have a better vision and I have the community's welfare at heart." Holt, though, defended his service as a commissioner the past 12 years. "I think Walter is an awfully nice person and I admire him for coming to county commissioner meetings," Holt said. "In general, you have to look at the general health of the county, and I think we are doing pretty good." Fitzgerald considers himself a moderate Republican with a belief that government does have a responsibility to take care of people, but also should provide an environment that allows businesses to flourish. At commission meetings, Fitzgerald has disagreed with bond measures for library expansion and a new juvenile hall. He said the library expansion bond was too expensive and the juvenile bond put the emphasis in the wrong place. "I didn't want to be known as the generation that built jails for our kids," he said. Fitzgerald said three critical issues the commission needs to address are air quality, drought potential and fire hazards. Fitzgerald is a fourth-generation Sams Valley resident who operates a farm his ancestors bought in 1877. He also owns rental properties. Fitzgerald is a graduate of Crater High School who went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force and earned a bachelor of science degree from what is now George Fox University in 1970. In 2000, Fitzgerald was elected director of the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District. He is second vice-chair for the Resource Conservation and Development Council. He serves on the board of the Sams Valley Citizens Advisory Committee and the Seven Basins Watershed Council. He is a member of the Resource Lands Review Committee and the Rogue Basin Local Advisory Committee. Linda Davis, who has worked with Fitzgerald on the Citizen Advisory Committee, said Fitzgerald's dedication to people persuaded her to become his campaign manager. "He's watching out for our rights," Davis said. "Sometimes we don't realize they are being subtly taken away." Fitzgerald said whether he wins or loses, he will continue to attend county commissioner meetings every week. "What they do has the power of law," Fitzgerald said. "If you don't pay attention, you may have something in place you won't want to see." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.