Rolland "Dick" Roe Age: 64 Address: Lot 36 Rhineland Trailer Park, Delphi Married, three children - David 44, Lisa 41 and Shelly 38. Retired - 38 years of pubic service including law enforcement background Democrat Dick Roe said he would bring a "different approach and look to the county council" if elected to one of the at-large seats.

"I lead by example," he said. "You have to stand up and be counted. Until we start working and acting like a team, we're not going to get the results that we want."

Roe said he has been a public servant for the past 38 years and not only understands the workings of government but also how budgets work. He said he could help Carroll County "get back on good financial footing."

"Carroll County spent a lot of money training me and I'd like to return the favor to them," he added.

Roe said the county, given the amount of money it has borrowed and leveraged to pay bills in 2008, could not possibly end the year with a real positive balance in the general fund unless bills were not paid or loans went unpaid, which he said should not happen.

"It will probably take us four more years to get back to a liveable balanced budget," he said.

The growth in Carroll County is stagnant," Roe said. "The money we have coming in is a lot less now. The council can only work with the money coming in."

Roe criticized the current council for not being more of a team to represent the county in a positive light.

"They have been really good at cutting the budget, but not at growing the actual way of adding more money for the county," he said. "Being on the council is more than just sitting at a table talking about figures. We need to promote Carroll County in civic groups and organizations."

"There's only one way for us to go - we are supposed to pull for the people," he said. "We cannot act like individu- als. There should be no egos involved."

Roe said he would seek guidance from citizens. He would go door-to-door to solicit ideas about county-needed improvements the council would address. He said he is a person who is skilled in bringing people together over an issue rather than letting a situation progress to a point of contention.

"I'm a 'uniter,' not a divider," he said. "The only reason we have taxes is to pay for services. If we don't have the money, we can't have the services."

Roe said he was "100 percent" in favor of all government officials adherence to state statutes. He said he would not tolerate a situation similar to the one in which the county auditor and treasurer, for more than five years, were not compliant with a state statute which mandates the books between the two offices be balanced monthly.

"Without a two-party system, this is what happens," he said. "I don't believe anything should be done behind closed doors."

"There must be full disclosure," he continued. "The only way to solve things is to deal with them in an open forum. We must air everything we do, and know, in, and for, the public."

Roe said the taxpayers have a right to know everything that happens in their government "every point of the way."

"Everything must be transparent," he said.

Roe said he would work to change the look of how the council does business in the courthouse.

"The council chambers are not set up for council meetings," he said. "It's asinine that they all don't face the audience and take votes where everyone can see them. We need a big change in the way we do things there."

"It's just not public friendly," he added. "And every department head should be at every council meeting."

Roe said he would have meetings with all department heads, including the treasurer and the auditor together, to help reconcile differences.

"I will be a hands-on council person," he said. "I intend to have a lot of sit-downs with both the auditor and the treasurer. I managed police officers for many years and I know how to get this done."

He said having up-to-date and accurate financial information from both the treasurer and the auditor is a necessity and nothing but correct information would work for him.

"I won't be a council person who doesn't know what's going on when I go to a council meeting," he continued. "If that happens, we're going to be talking about it. I expect the very best out of every person in charge, which includes our auditor and treasurer. I want to help them be their very best."

Roe said all who give presentations to the council would be treated equally. He would expect each one to address the council from the podium. He emphasized he is clear about the role of the auditor at a council meeting and what the office holder's duties are as prescribed by state statute.

Roe said he would be the voice for no spending by department heads "if circumstances demand that."

"Everything is fluid and I expect department heads to change with each situation," he said. "They all need to be at the meetings every month."

Roe said he planned to review claims every month "because I want to know what they are spending and what they are spending it on."

Roe said he was against privatizing any county service and said he would not be in favor of a department head holding more than one job with the county at one time.

"Job number one is working for the county," he said.

Roe said he is very "procourt and pro-judges and would be unlikely to vote to appropriate money to address legal action against a judicial mandate over budgetary issues.

"When we elect our judges, what goes with it comes with it," he said.

"I would sit down with both sides and listen to what they have to say," he said. "I'm not sure there is enough discussion with the judges or any department head designed to resolve conflict before council meetings."

"I will be an educated council person," Roe concluded. "I intend to educate myself about this job before I take office."

"When electing their new council members I would hope the residents of Carroll County would look at the five of us running, consider our backgrounds, our public perception and realize the years I've served the county have been about them and not about me," he added. "I only want the best for Carroll County. I intend to be a working person for them. Being and working in the public has been the very best years of my life.