Lorie Floyd
My background is a lifetime of leadership, management and community service. I learned early on that volunteer service was important to the survival of any community.
As a parent and community member, which was the Crawford and Grant County area, I had many roles. President of the Parent Teachers Organization; Special Olympics: fundraising, coaching and agency manager; advocate for youth mentorship; leader in the developing, fundraising and building of our skateboard park; creator, planner, and race director of the Mississippi Mud Run and 4-H leader for the Wonder Workers in Prairie du Chien. My career was Law Enforcement. I went through the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy at 20 years old. During my 34 year career, my official titles were Trooper, Motor Carrier Inspector and Sergeant. I am experienced in managing large scale events, programs, classrooms, equipment, personnel and facilities. I have experience in handling emergency situations, personnel issues, discipline, and community outreach.
In addition to my regular job, I was a public speaker, resident liaison officer, court officer, teacher, curriculum developer, hazardous materials expert, competitor, crash reconstructionist and highway safety advocate. I have never been satisfied with just doing the job. I always want to do more and be more than average. I have been told that I am creating extra work for myself, which is true, but the results are rewarding. I moved home in 2018. I am a farmer, business owner and resident of Taylor County.
Why do you want to serve on the County Board? I am a person who believes responsible citizens should work and take care of themselves and their families. Government is in place, among other things, to handle infrastructure, law enforcement, and utilities. I was taught to trust and respect our government officials. Over the past two years, I have watched as our federal and state governments make decisions that, at first, made sense but then just seemed to overreach into areas of citizens’ personal lives. I see families, friends and communities divided by our government decisions. These decisions have filtered down to us on a local level. Local government has the biggest impact on us as citizens. I believe our county board would benefit from new voices and new ideas. If I am elected, I will do my best to make decisions that are in the best interest of the citizens of Taylor County.
What do you think the biggest challenge facing the county over the course of the next 5 years will be and how would you address it?
The first issue I would like to address is the lack of trust in our government, schools and other non-elected officials. Questions of voter fraud, lack of information, misinformation, and inconsistency, has caused citizens to question those who are in charge and those who are teaching our children. The county board needs to do its
best to get proper information, to question when things just don’t make sense, then make the best decisions for our residents.
These decisions may not be in line with other counties, the state or federal government, but we need to do what is right for Taylor County. It will take time for our citizens to learn to trust again.
The workforce shortage is a huge challenge in Taylor County. Businesses cannot stay open without workers. That being said, I am going to combine the rest of this answer with the next question: How can the county help promote economic development and residential population growth especially in more rural portions of the county?
I see this as a marketing campaign. Let’s target the young. Every year, we have a new group of potential employees. Our teenagers. Getting a job, to earn money to pay for a car, phone, bicycle, or new clothes, is the responsible thing to do. Working in any job, no matter what it is, is a “reference” for your next job or entry into any form of higher education. Starting out as a waitress, dishwasher, line worker, carpenter, dairy farm worker, are all respectable ways to start out in the job market.
Let’s target families and older workers (who are sometimes overlooked) and make Taylor County a place where young families want to stay, move to or retire. Improving our park systems and bringing businesses into the county that appeal to locals, new residents, older population and tourists. An organic food store, specialty shops, a pizza and/or BBQ restaurant are some potential ideas.
Housing and broadband internet are a big part of this and are already being developed. Thank you to the committees and groups that are taking these on.
In rural areas, I see a big potential for more farms to develop as locally grown food sources for our community. We as the county should encourage and again market the value of buying local. Encourage Farm to School lunch programs.
Would you support a more formalized administrative leadership structure for county employees? Why or why not?
It has become obvious in the past couple months from reading the Star News that Taylor County needs something different in the handling of the county employees. The concerns at the courthouse in particular need to be addressed with consistency. I believe they can be handled by an administrator OR the county board but not as they are being addressed currently.
I see an administrator as the person who handles issues as they arise. She/he will be on site and generally available to handle personnel complaints, building issues, data concerns, and will also look forward and plan for the future needs of the county. The administrator can look at all departments and help prioritize the needs. She/he would not replace the county board and would always have to answer to them.
The county board committees could also handle the job but it is more difficult as none are full time employees of the county. Structure must be put in place to make someone the go-to person to handle immediate issues. On-going issues must be addressed and personnel issues must be handled with consistency. Policies should be in place and adhered to.
