By AnneMarie Knepper
Albany Democrat-Herald | Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:00 am
Democrat Pete Boucot will run against Roger Nyquist in the fall
For Lebanon resident Pete Boucot, running for the Linn County Board of Commissioners fits into a plan he's had in mind for nearly a decade.
"I've been interested in public service for as long as I can remember," he said. "It's the reason I got a degree in political science."
Boucot, 42, earned his bachelor's degree at Oregon State University. He joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1984 and was discharged in 1990.
The candidate grew up in Benton County and attended Linn-Benton Community College as well as OSU. He has lived in Linn County off and on since 1996, and came for good in 2001.
After scrapping plans to become a lawyer, Boucot went on to purchase and run a small farm in Lebanon with his wife, Jan, a retired school teacher. He also works as a cashier at Costco Wholesale.
An avid gardener, Boucot also enjoys woodworking and taking advantage of parks and recreational opportunities in Linn County.
He volunteers with the United Way and Albany Civic Theater.
"I figured when the time was right, I would run for some public office," he said.
He figures that time is now. He was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the primary and will run against incumbent Republican Roger Nyquist for commissioner Position 2 in November.
"The reason I'm running for county commissioner is plain and simple, I don't feel that Mr. Nyquist is doing the job that he is supposed to be doing," he said. "I don't think he is as available as he needs to be. I don't think he has the best interests of the entire community at heart and I think he has forgotten that he works for the people, not the other way around."
When asked to clarify the last statement, Boucot said, "They got it into their head that a renaissance fair would be a great idea, and that fell through."
A county deal to build a park with Royal Faires Inc. on Seven Mile Lane south of Highway 34 ended last fall when the company asked to include permanent structures on the site.
Boucot said the land should be sold and used exclusively for farming.
He said he supports forming a countywide library district, and he described the OSU Extension Service, which has proposed a countywide tax to help support it, as a vital community program for Linn County.
"If we can find money in Linn County to buy land for an RV park, we can certainly find money to fund programs that will actually have an impact on the quality of life here in Linn County," he said.