When January 1, 2021 arrives a new commissioner will be joining Summers County. Michael (Mike) Gore will be taking over as the county’s newest commissioner.
Current Summers County Commissioners, Jack David Woodrum stepped down to run for the District 10 Senate leaving an opening in the Summers County Commission. With an overwhelming majority vote, Mike Gore won the open position.
When speaking about Summers County, Gore’s voice is full of passion and determination making it clear that he cares about the county and its citizens. He has lived in Summers County his whole adult life and has been a businessman for 45 years.
Gore has several goals for his time as commissioner. One of those goals is to work closely with the city of Hinton.
He said, “I would like to work with the city of Hinton because that is our county’s seat and we need to work closely to obtain funding and if we work together we will become stronger as a county.”
Summers County Emergency Services is one of Gore’s passions. He spent more than two decades serving as a volunteer firefighter in Hinton. He now serves on the board for the Talcott Fire Department. Through this position, Gore has learned that there are currently some concerns among the county departments over issues with the 911 system and lack of communication. Because of this, he said he would like to find ways to improve the system and make communication easier and more efficient.
His third goal is to obtain grants for economic development within the county. He said, “we’ve got three beautiful rivers that flow through our county and I don’t think economic development for those rivers is being used a hundred percent effectively.”
He also said “I want to see if we can stimulate tourism and bring some people in here. When you bring people in here, you bring money in. When you bring money in, you create jobs. When you create jobs, you create opportunities.”
While campaigning, Gore found that he was met with a great amount of support throughout the county. He wants citizens to know that “come Jan. 1, I will be working diligently for your trust because you trusted me with your vote and I want to work hard for you.”
During his campaign, Gore said he was most surprised to find how many small businesses and entrepreneurs there are within the county.
Gore said he is most looking forward to “positive progress” while serving as county commissioner.
“I can see doing positive things. That will be my happiness for being a commissioner,” Gore said.
When Gore found out that he has won the election he said that he felt joy. He also said he was surprised at the wide margin of his win, as he was anticipating a close race. Once he had time to absorb the information, he said he began to feel “like the dog that chases the car. The dog catches the car, now what is going to do with it. It was a shock as reality set in that people trusted me with their vote.”
Gore is currently taking some time off to relax and spend time with loved ones in preparation for his busy schedule once he is sworn in on Jan. 1, 2021. He says he is “looking forward to the battles ahead.”
