Boone County is an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family, which is at the heart of why I’m running for Boone County Judge-Executive. My wife and I have been married almost 16 years and are raising our seven children on a small farm in Walton. Like so many families across our county, we’re deeply invested in the future of this community.
Over the past several decades, Boone County has experienced tremendous growth. We’ve built strong communities, attracted businesses, and created opportunities for families. We have much to be proud of, thanks to generations of residents, community leaders, and dedicated public servants. But the challenges of tomorrow will not be the same as those of yesterday. The decisions we make now will shape our communities for generations to come.
During my four years serving on the Fiscal Court, I’ve worked to bring a fresh perspective to county government, consistently advocating for lower taxes, reducing unnecessary regulations, pushed for greater transparency and communication, and fought for more responsible growth planning. We’ve made meaningful progress. County property tax rates have been reduced, unnecessary fees and regulations have been eliminated, and important conversations about long-term planning, development, and accountability have moved forward.
We have much more work to do, and now is not the time to go backwards. Boone County’s growth presents significant challenges for our roads, infrastructure, housing, public safety, and essential services. We need to move beyond reacting to problems as they arise and develop comprehensive, measurable strategies that anticipate the needs of our communities five, ten, and twenty years into the future. Equally important, county government must remain focused on its fundamental responsibility: delivering exceptional service to residents while protecting taxpayers.
My professional experience in public safety, corporate executive leadership, and county government has reinforced my belief that effective leadership requires sound judgment, accountability, strong teams, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. As Judge-Executive, my priorities will be straightforward: maintaining fiscal discipline and low tax rates, improving service delivery to our residents, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and regulation, protecting individual property rights, and strengthening coordination among county, city, and state governments.
I’m encouraged by the broad support and working relationships I’ve established with elected officials throughout Boone County and our region. Those partnerships create opportunities to address shared challenges more effectively and deliver better results for residents. But ultimately, this is about more than budgets, roads, or development proposals. It’s about people. It’s about preserving the quality of life that makes Boone County special. It’s about ensuring our children have opportunities, our communities remain strong, and future generations can build their lives here.
The November 3 election is an important opportunity for residents to consider the direction of county government and the priorities that will guide decisions over the next four years.
I believe Boone County has tremendous opportunities ahead. My commitment is straightforward: to build on what is working, continue challenging what can be improved, and bring fresh ideas, energy, and a more proactive approach to the challenges ahead.
Boone County needs experienced leadership in the Judge-Executive’s office, because the future of our community deserves competent attention today. It has been my privilege to serve our county the last four years, and I would be honored to earn your vote again, and to continue to serve these next four years.
Chet Hand is a Boone County Commissioner and a Republican candidate for Boone County Judge-Executive.