NW Missouri Times

Scott Walk, incumbent member of the Nodaway County Commission, is seeking the Republican nomination for re-election to his seat representing the South District. The primary election will be held on August 6.

Per a sample ballot, Walk is running for re-election in the GOP primary against Jason Weir.

Walk first ran for the Nodaway County Commission in 2020. According to an October 15, 2020, Maryville Forum article, Walk earned a BS in Secondary Education in Agriculture and an MS in Agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University. His professional background includes working as an environmental specialist at Northwest Missouri State University for over three decades and managing and operating Walk Farms.

Walk also served on the Nodaway County Ambulance Board of Directors as chairman and treasurer.

During his time as an environmental specialist, Walk worked on environmental compliance, fire safety, and safety training. As Walk explained, "In doing environmental compliance you deal with regulatory agencies, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), DNR (Department of Natural Resources). The county has to deal with some of those very same agencies.”

In the Maryville Forum interview, Walk highlighted how his background honed his attention to detail and explained how that skill would serve him well as a Nodaway County Commissioner. "There is a need to pay attention to details," he said. "That’s what good budgeting comes down to. That’s what good fiscal responsibility comes down to: being a fiscally responsible member of the community, of a board or anything else. I have a lot of experience in that and that’s what would lend well to being a commissioner for the county.”

In a press release, R.E.D. PAC — a political action committee focused on rural economic development — endorsed Walk as a candidate who has "demonstrated unwavering dedication to the principles that foster economic stability, enhance transparency in government, and protect private property rights from excessive regulation" and as an advocate "for sensible solutions to local and national challenges, emphasizing the importance of strong community leadership in achieving long-term success." 

R.E.D. PAC Chief Strategist Charlie Kolean also endorsed Walk, saying he was a person who would "stand firm on issues critical to our freedoms and economic wellbeing."

The Commission comprises three members: one presiding commissioner, one commissioner representing the North District, and one commissioner representing the South District, according to the Nodaway County website.

Chapter 49 of the Missouri Revised Statutes explains that the presiding commissioner is elected by the County at-large, while the associate commissioners are elected by members of the respective districts in which they reside. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms.

Per the Missouri Revised Statutes, commissioners' responsibilities include controlling and managing County property, adopting and revising budgets, preparing and publishing financial statements, and setting salaries for county officials.