Today we take a look at the Republican candidate running for Greene County Supervisor District 3.
Dan Benitz is a Kansas native and has lived in Greene County for the past 41 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State before getting his master’s degree in vocational education administration from Iowa State University. He taught high school vocational programs for several years and just recently retired this year. He started the first high school girls track program in Greene County in 1971 and through the high school construction program that he started for 16 years, they built and sold 16 houses.
A proposed $12,685,000 bond referendum for a new county jail is on the ballot for the general election and Benitz is in favor of building a new facility. He says if the state decides to close the current jail because it has been out of compliance for several years, then the county will end up paying more “rent” to other county jails and taking additional deputies out of the county.
Benitz wants to strengthen vocational programs within the schools because it will allow kids additional experiences but also help keep some of them here in the county for trade-related jobs. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio why he’s running for Greene County Supervisor.
“I’ve been asked several times the last couple of years. (Greene County Republican Party Co-Chair) Roger Ohelhausen came out to my shop one night and really wanted me to run, and (I said), ‘Okay.’ Well I dropped one opportunity and I’m going to do this. I want to see the county grow, realistically, and we have a lot of opportunity here. I raised our family here, been here 41 years. This is our home, it’s a good place to raise a family (and) I want to see that continue.”
Democrat candidate Mike Holden is challenging Benitz for the Supervisor District 3 seat. You can learn more about Benitz by clicking the link below for the Let’s Talk Greene County interview.