February 18, 2022 - Several local businessmen and community leaders in Madera County’s 5th Supervisorial District have recently endorsed Mark Reed’s candidacy for the position.
Reed, who lives in Oakhurst, said he threw his hat in the ring to run for County Supervisor after learning that Tom Wheeler, the current supervisor in District 5, had decided to retire after his term was up in November 2022. But, even before then, he said members of the community had been encouraging him to run for supervisor.
Recent endorsements among others include Bill McPike, the last President of the Eastern Madera Bar Association, Kenny Goodwin, owner of Goodwin Lumber Yard in North Fork, Marc Sobel, an Oakhurst resident who ran against Wheeler in 2018, Luke Starner, President of the California Rifle and Pistol Association and Mike Bornman, President of the Bass Lake Homeowners Association.
Bornman, a career law enforcement professional, said he offered Reed his “whole-hearted” endorsement because he recognizes and appreciates Reed’s commitment to doing what he considers to be the “right thing.”
Similarly, Starner, who lives in Coarsegold, said he is “impressed” with Reed’s ability to communicate from a position of strength, has detailed knowledge of the issues that face our community and the candor to be forthcoming about his position on them.
“He is also able to formulate viable solutions to many of the issues facing our community such as trash, mask/vaccine mandates, water, crime and fire,” he added.
Sobel, who lives in Oakhurst, is supporting Reed because he said, “it is time to bring a new perspective to the county.”
McPike, of Ahwahnee, said he “was very impressed” with Reed and how fast he tracked down some information he asked him to look into.
“I know he spent at least five hours on the project and got back to me within a week with everything he knew about the issue.” You don’t get that kind of attention from most people in public office and that’s why I’m endorsing him,” he added.
Reed defines the job of a county supervisor as a legislator with oversight of the county government who needs tested business and government experience and the ability to bring people together to work on common goals.
“I have that experience,” said Reed, who spent his life championing for the rights of the working class.
“I will never give up on that fight,” he said.
He said he would also fight to protect the quality of life in the mountains and the safety of our communities.
“Some of my top issues that will be addressed immediately are fire insurance which includes a focus on fire protection, forest management and emergency escape routes from our mountain communities, roads, infrastructure and housing. On the housing issue, we’ll be discussing AirBnB’s in Eastern Madera County,” he said.
Other issues of concern to Reed include law enforcement, water, drug abuse, crime, homelessness and mental health issues in our communities.
Reed shares three grown children and 11 grandchildren with his wife, Nina. The couple, who have been married for 44 years, also advocate for more activities for families and children in our communities.
“I have discovered that when people work together, there isn’t anything that can’t be fixed or corrected,” he added.
Currently, Reed is serving on a Trash Advisory Group that is working with Madera County officials to investigate less costly solutions to trash pick-up (which will now include green waste) in the Mountain Area.
Last year, Madera County notified mountain area residents that it was proposing mandatory solid waste, recycling and organic waste collection services for their property that would nearly double the cost of garbage collection.
If elected, Reed said his biggest contribution to District 5 would be “accountability, integrity and experienced representation” should he earn the people’s vote in Madera County’s 5th District Supervisorial primary election on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
To learn more about Reed, people can visit his website at www.supervisormarkreed.com or his Facebook page.
Pictured: Mark Reed with his wife Nina and their dog
Submitted by - Committee: Mark Reed for Supervisor
