Dave Mikus was sworn in as Warren County’s southern district county commissioner on Dec. 31, although he effectively won that position when he defeated challenger John Miller in the Aug. 6 primary 1,788 votes to 1,501.
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Dave Mikus was sworn in as Warren County’s southern district county commissioner on Dec. 31, although he effectively won that position when he defeated challenger John Miller in the Aug. 6 primary 1,788 votes to 1,501.
He ran unopposed in the general election on Nov. 5.
Mikus is a fourth-generation farmer and business owner in Warren County and holds a bachelors of agriculture from the University of Missouri.
He operates Pumpkins Galore, selling pumpkins and Christmas trees while farming corn and beans and raising beef cattle. He has also served on the Wright City R-II Board of Education for the past 10 years.
He has been sitting in on commissioner meetings since October and feels that while he still has plenty to learn, he is prepared to shoulder the responsibilities the role brings.
Mikus replaced outgoing commissioner Tom Meyer and joined Presiding Commissioner Joe Gildehaus and Northern District Commissioner Matt Flake during their first meeting of the year on Jan. 2.
“Today is my first day to sit in the big chair, but I don’t feel like it’s my first day because I sat in quite a few meetings,” said Mikus. “Joe, Matt and Tom have been super helpful in helping me transition into the position.”
While county commissioners carry a wide range of responsibilities, the bulk of their work recently has been, and will continue to be, the county’s budget for the coming fiscal year.
Mikus said sitting in, and now participating in the budget discussions, has been an eye-opening experience.
“I think sitting in those budget meetings has helped me realize how some of the other offices work, and kind of the inner workings when you deal with their money. You realize what they do and how they do it,” said Mikus.
He said that while he did not run for the office with any specific agenda his goals are to ensure that “Warren County is a great place to live.”
There has been significant growth in Warren County in recent years with a number of new developments and Mikus hopes they are able to balance that growth with its agricultural roots.
“New growth is definitely coming, we can’t stop it, but (we have to) try not to forget where we came from as well, the agriculture background that Warren County has,” said Mikus.
He said he would rely on the county’s planning and zoning department, and the office will help elected officials to keep at least a loose grip on the reins of development.
“Developers, everybody, they can look at the planning and zoning laws and know up front what they’re getting into when they come to Warren County,” said Mikus.
Mikus plans to continue to serve on the R-II School Board and sought to dispel any concerns about his time and availability in either function. He said that even though he is still learning the ropes at the county administration building, he is not worried about fulfilling each obligation to the best of his ability.
He said he does not have an end game for his first term as a commissioner but will be following a loose framework as issues arise to leave the county in a strong position when he departs the office.
“Hopefully the county will be in a good financial situation, hopefully the roads and bridges only get better over time,” said Mikus. “Like I say, keep moving the ball forward and try not to go backwards on anything.”