Moke Simon is my choice for county supervisor and I urge the residents of District 1 to support him with their votes.

Born and raised in Middletown, Moke is a trusted leader and presence at every important community meeting and event – and no one can match his Herculean efforts to provide shelter and ongoing support to hundreds of Valley and Clayton fire victims. 

Moke has the business experience the South County needs in its next supervisor. Ask anyone who’s benefited from one of the many job fairs he’s organized or any of the hundreds of local residents employed by the rancheria’s enterprises. Moke is the only candidate who has worked with local, state and federal officials for 20 years, negotiating multimillion dollar contracts that help drive the region’s economy.

Finally, people know that Moke is a man of his word, and when he says he will make county services more accessible and user-friendly – and bring county government directly to Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake, Anderson Springs and Middletown – I for one believe he will do it.

John Hess lives in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif.