After weeks and months of campaigning as well as months of sitting in on meetings before finally being elected, Nick Ruhl is settling into his role as Bourbon County District Three Commissioner.
Ruhl has lived in Bourbon County all but five years of his life, serving the Fort Scott Fire Department for 20 years and owning a construction company for eighteen years. But at the request of friends, he decided to serve the community in a different way.
“A lot of people came to me and asked me to run,” Ruhl said, saying he knew something needed to be done to keep from spending too much money while bringing in other funds for the county at the same time.
Ruhl said he is looking forward to finding ways to invite new businesses, such as by not driving them away because of high taxes.
“I hope we can build a reserve back into the county and have some extra money,” Ruhl said. “That’s what I’m really looking forward to trying to do.”
Since filing as a candidate in spring of 2016, Ruhl said he has probably missed only six of the bi-weekly county commission meetings. After those months of hearing about the issues and concerns of the county, Ruhl said he is excited and ready to take on the new position.
“We’ve got to have a place for our kids to grow up,” Ruhl says. “I don’t want my grand-kids to move away and I don’t want their kids to move away…we’ve got to do something.”
Since being sworn into office on January 9, Ruhl and fellow new commissioner Jeff Fischer have attended training from the state and have heard a number of reports concerning county resources and other concerns.