While candidates participating, we're asked the same questions and we're given the same amount of time to respond. This video was filmed by QAC TV and the questions were selected by Editor Angela Price with Reader Input. My name is Anna Combs reporting with the Bay Times and Record Observer and we're with Annette DeNosio, who is the Democratic candidate for Commissioner in District 1. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you for having me. Annette, maybe you can tell us why you wanted to be County Commissioner and a little bit about yourself. Well, I'm a native of Queenience County, born and raised here. I'm Mary and I have three sons that were also born and raised here. And I guess the reason that I really decided to do the County Commissioner thing was because of the education, because I am on the Board of Education at this time, and find that the MOE of... that the County Commissioners have been funding is just not sufficient for that any longer. And the also is the Affordable Housing here in Queenience County. I live in North County where there's a severe problem with housing. We have rent that is for anywhere between a thousand and fifteen hundred dollars a month. People can't afford that. And my other issue is that we have to do more on the opioid situation here in our county. And that kind of brings us to our next question. So you've talked about some of the issues you feel the County is feeling? Yes. They would feel an issue. Are there any other issues? Do you want to talk a little bit more about those issues? Well, I find that we do have a serious problem with the funding, with the MOE. We as a county are the future of our children in this county. And by funding them only by MOE, we are taking... when we do a budget, we're taking away without the money, we're taking away classrooms and teachers and pathways that children are following. And if we continue to do that, our children are the losers. Our children are not the winners by only funding the MOE. In North County we have families that are two and three families living in one house. Because they can't afford a thousand dollars a month. They can't afford a fifteen hundred dollars a month. We are the poor section of the county. And we need to take that into consideration. And of course, as you said, the opioid problem. I have opioid problem in my family. And I think we need to set higher goals. Not that we're not working on that. And not that we don't have a great group of people that are doing the drug awareness. But I don't know if it's money. I don't know what the problem is. But as a county commissioner, I think that I would have more... I would know more of what was going on than what I do from being on the Board of Education. Absolutely. The county's comprehensive plan will be updated in the next term. Can you describe your vision for that plan? I'd like to have a plan that everyone in this county wants as a commissioner. I'd like to listen to what people suggest. Every ten years, this is a major process of planning. And we need for it to be an inclusive one. I love this county. It's where I was raised. It's where I raised my three sons. I want to hear the vision of where everybody is. This plan is to be able to keep our rural life, but a place where children can live and work. What provisions would you make for providing needed services for senior citizens? We need affordable housing for seniors in this county. We need to support health and emergency services for them in this county. We need to encourage the work being done in the senior centers. The last two sets of commissioners close the facility here in centerville. So now those elderly folks have to get on a bus and either go to Graysonville or Ken Island or they have to go to Sellersville. They use that building for offices. I would think that we have plenty of office space here in Queens County, apparently not. These centers are vital for seniors to be happy and productive. In your opening, you were talking about MOA, which was the maintenance of efforts. Yes. And the county commissioners have been faced with that issue of funding above maintenance of effort. As a county commissioner, how would you respond? I'd like to see our schools fully funded, but I would like to be open so that we know where the money, the county commissioners, know where the money is going. I've learned a lot in the last four years about money, how it's spent. I can use my expertise to bring efficient quality school spending. I'd like to see a new CTE built in this county, the way to beat poverty in this county is the educator children to the max. So, and if we're not educating their children, the way they need to be educated, then we lose as a county. How would you balance future development within the county with protecting the environment? This is where our comprehensive plan is so important for the future, and we must protect our beloved Bay and waterways and the country like that we're used to living. And the fall strain, the growth and economic development in the county, what are your thoughts on that? I like tax incentives. I'd like to offer tax incentives with new businesses knowing, them knowing that it's not going to last forever, and it would be something that we could do in a period so that they could come here and get their business up and all for the ground. North County, which is first district where I'm running, would benefit from new business as like Middletown Delaware, which is booming like crazy on the outskirts of their town. I like my way of life, and I don't want that to change, but I do wish that I didn't have to travel 20 miles to go grocery shop and or pick up a prescription. That brings us to one of our next questions. Residents of the North are in part of the county, often feel like they're not getting the same level of services that the rest of the county does. How would you address those concerns? Well, I would be their voice, just as I've been at the Board of Education for the last four years. I have what I consider an open-door policy, always the answer in a phone call or the answer in a text message from someone in my community. They know that I'm here, that I may not always have the answer, but I'll get them the best answer that I can if I can't do it right then. They know that at least I will get back to them. That's really all they want. They just want to know someone is listening, someone hears them, and that someone will try to do something about it. I think for first district, I'm that person to do that. Are there any issues or topics we haven't covered or anything you want to go back and revisit again? Well, as everyone knows that the school is my number one issue that we have to do something other than funding at MOE. The affordable housing because of the way that I see people living. And in this opioid, this is very, very important to me that we figure out how we can do something a little differently than what we're doing. Because what we're doing is not working. We're losing young people. We're losing middle-aged people. And we have to make this stop. But other than that, no, those are my three main areas. And I would like to be able to work on those. And I would like to be able to continue working in a group as I'm doing. I don't think just one person has all the answers. I think they group. And I think as a group, we need to listen to what our county people say. And I'll see very clearly to them. Thank you so much for joining us on participating. Thank you very much. Thank you.