Three candidates will square off in the August 14th primary for the third district seat on the Winona County Board.  They are incumbant Commissioner Mena Kaehler of St. Charles, Steve Jacob of Altura and Bruce Speltz of Rollingstone.  All three have agriculture backgrounds in the district that represents western and northern parts of the county.

Steve Jacob farms in the Whitewater area and cut his political teeth with his opposition to the process of creating and updating the zoning ordinance for the county.  He calls the new ordinance flawed and says in particular he wants to see it amended to better protect rural residents' ability ot expand their homes and businesses.

Jacob also argues that commissioners have ceded too much power to unelected bureaucrats, in particular County Administrator Duane Hebert.  Jacob says commissioners should talk to county residents to formulate policy to pass on to county staff to implement.  Too often, he says, policy seems to come from the Government Center and work its way out to county residents from there.