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District 20 serves a portion of the town of Janesville west of the Rock River, south of US Highway 14. N. Burdick Road is on the northwestern edge. It is also bordered by W. Mineral Point Ave. and W. Memorial Dr.

The 69���� asked three questions of each candidate. Those questions were: What are the top issues in the county? How do you plan on addressing those issues? What does the county board need to do in the next two years?

John Emmart

Emmart is a human resources professional with 35 years of leadership experience, nearly 20 of them at Mercyhealth.

His community and civic experience includes: an Ambassador for Forward Janesville, Inc.; Ambassador for the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce; and an active neighbor and community advocate in Janesville’s Hamilton Heights neighborhood

Emmart said Rock County’s top issues are affordable housing, workforce readiness and “resources for various health programs that are needed, within a budget with limitations.”

“Overall, the future looks promising for Rock County as we are experiencing economic growth, but with growth comes increased challenges for affordable housing along with workforce readiness and stability, with resources needed to address health equity,” Emmart said.

Emmart said addressing the issues will require the county board to administer and manage the county budget with “maximum efficiency.”

“Working collaboratively with the municipalities, regarding services and resources needed, finding future efficiencies, is crucial,” he said.

Additionally, having a long-range plan for the county with a “regular review cadence,” that is adjusted as needed, “will serve as a compass to guide and direct budget allocation and operational decision making,” Emmart said.

Emmart told The 69���� that addressing the issues begins with listening and learning. He said he’ll listen to residents and fellow county board members on what has worked well, and “where the pain points are” with the budget and allocating resources. He said reviewing work done by county board committees is also needed.

Emmart said he’d advocate for short- and long-term goals to address and eliminate county debt.

“A long-range plan (5-10 year horizon) needs to be in place with both a dynamic and pragmatic approach to reviewing the plan on a routine basis,” Emmart said.

Emmart said the board needs to “revitalize and prioritize” the long-range plan in the next two years.

The county board must also “intentionally collaborate” with Rock County municipalities to efficiently and effectively allocate county budget monies while sharing resources where appropriate, he said.

“I believe collectively working on these four issues will make for an efficient and responsive citizen-centric Rock County government, working for all Rock County residents,” Emmart said.

Garrik Harwick

A master electrician by trade, Harwick currently serves as assistant business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 890. In this role, he recruits and dispatches electricians, collaborates with area schools and students to expand access to the electrical trade, supports membership growth, and negotiates fair labor contracts.

He’s a graduate of Parker High School.

Harwick called Rock County a “great place to live,” but said there are two issues that stand out.

One is building a strong local workforce.

“We need to make sure our economy works for working families. I’m a strong advocate for the skilled trades, and I regularly work with students and parents to help them find pathways into good-paying, union jobs,” Harwick said. “County investments should prioritize projects that pay a living wage and support local workers and local companies, not simply always the lowest bidder.”

The other is addressing growing mental health needs.

“Too many people are struggling to access timely, affordable care. The county should expand support for mental health programs, reduce barriers to treatment, and ensure help is available before people reach a crisis point,” Harwick said.

Over the next two years, the county board needs to “focus on smart, people-centered investments,” Harwick said. That includes supporting workforce development, keeping jobs local and expanding mental health resources, he said.

“If we do that, we can build a stronger, healthier Rock County that works for everyone,” Harwick said.