Irey Vaughan seeking sixth term as Washington commissioner
When Diana Irey Vaughan first ran for county commissioner, she was the youngest person to have done so; now, seeking her sixth term in office, she has been in office longer than either of her peers.
Irey Vaughan recently announced her intention to seek the Republican nomination for Washington County commissioner.
“I love serving the people. Even as long as I’ve been in office, I keep coming up with new ideas to make things better,” Irey Vaughan said.
Irey Vaughan said among the projects she’d like to see through in another term in office are the development of two new business parks and programs at the county jail to reduce recidivism.
“We’re working with the courts to try to educate the inmates, providing wrap-around services to better prepare them for when they get out,” Irey Vaughan said.
Irey Vaughan said a key initiative is getting drug and alcohol treatment to the inmates who need it to keep them from returning to prison through their addictions. Irey Vaughan said there is also a focus on job training initiatives for female inmates.
Irey Vaughan said it’s important to find ways to prevent inmates from becoming repeat offenders.
“If we don’t, we’re going to have to build a new jail,” Irey Vaughan said.
While Irey Vaughan is proud of the county’s high performing pension fund AA bond rating and low tax rate, it is a program started in her first term in office of which she is proudest.
“Probably my proudest accomplishment has been the FITS program, Furlough in to Service, which started in 1997,” Irey Vaughan said. “Inmates have provided more than 300,000 hours of service to communities. It’s a terrific program.”
Irey Vaughan said she wants to continue the county’s growth, working together with private industry to create jobs.
“I feel like I’ve been a good steward of what the taxpayers have entrusted me with,” Irey Vaughan said.