After six years as Tucker County Commissioner, Fred Davis is running for reelection. Davis, a Tucker County resident for 58 years, has served as Commissioner since 2019.
According to Davis, his focus has been to be a voice for the citizens of Tucker County. Davis said that he has always strove to field citizen concerns to the County Commission and has even taken long calls from citizens in the middle of the night. “When I ran, I told everybody I would be their voice of the people,” Davis said. “When they come to me, I bring it to the commission and to the county to let them know what is going on.”
Davis said that during his first campaign, he had said he would expand access to trade school opportunities for the citizens of Tucker County. According to Davis, he has been working with Eastern College as well as helping citizens with mining classes, CDL and phlebotomy classes. “When I ran last time, I promised people I would do trade schools to help the community out and I’ve done that the entire five years I’ve been (on the Commission),” Davis said.
Davis said he also has assisted local companies and carpenters to find employees, as well as fielding call often on the subject of employment. “I still get calls from people asking for me to find them employees and people call me about finding jobs and that has worked out really well with me helping to do that,” Davis said. “As Commissioner, people come to me on that.”
According to Davis, he enjoys his work with local recreational service. “I like the part of working with the recreation and community centers and our parks,” Davis said. “These are the main things that I like. I really like putting my time into those things.”
Davis said he feel that the County is a team and attributed much of the County’s successes to the combined effort of the County departments. “We’re a team,” Davis said. “You work it out to make it work for the County.”
Davis said in his time as Commissioner, he has focused on employment, EMS and Fire, civic infrastructure projects involving water and sewer and the expansion of broadband internet service in the area through the Commission’s partnership with Prodigy. “The last few years, I’ve helped give money for infrastructure through the Covid money to water and sewer and the water plant,” Davis said. “I work closely with Canaan, Davis and Thomas and Hamrick PSD to make sure they had the right pumps and the water lines.”
Davis said if reelected, he plans to continue his work in education and employment, but also feels there is a need for continued support of emergency services. Davis said he plans to continue working on the infrastructure of the county and continue doing what he has since he was initially elected. “This job is 24-7 and I take it very seriously,” Davis said. “Its about looking out for the well being of this County.”
Davis, a retiree of the City of Thomas, said his family has been in the Douglas area since the 1920s. According to Davis, his family were coal miners in the area. Davis said he has three grandsons and a daughter in Tucker County. “My heart is in Tucker County,” Davis said.
