ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Christina Yearick recently filed as one of the candidates to replace former Seward County District Four Commissioner Tammy Sutherland-Abbott, who recently resigned.
Q: What made you decide to run?
A: I just want to say thank you to the people of Seward County for stepping up and speaking out against illegal taxation.
I believe that our community will be well represented by any of the eight candidates who have stepped up to take on the issues. We will listen to you.
We’ll fight for what is right for this community, and I just want to say thank you to all of them for giving us options that weren’t there a week ago. I want Seward County to be a great place to live, a great place to work, and a great place to learn
Q: What do you think has prepared you to serve as a commissioner?
A: Anybody who knows my situation knows I won’t bow down to difficulty in tough situations, and I know the strength that community offers you in those tough situations.
I lost my husband, Rick Yearick, less than a year ago. If you really want to know who prepared me to be a servant in every capacity, it’s God and Rick Yearick.
I cling to my relationship with my Savior and seek knowledge, understanding, and His strength daily. And if you knew Rick Yearick, you knew his passion for history, politics, and people. We were one and the same. We love people.
I’m just trying to do the right thing for the people here. They work so hard and live frugally in trying times. Everyone has trying times. I just expect the county to represent the frugalness of the people.
Finally the most important word in that question is servant. I want to serve the people of this community, and I ask for Seward County residents to continue to make everybody hear your voices.
Q: What issues do you think are most important facing Seward County?
A: Obviously, the issues that are most pressing to everyone involve their pocketbooks. The more money you take from them, the less they have to support their families and their livelihoods. Nothing else matters.
It’s the people and their livelihoods. Decisions have to be made concerning every facet of the city to make this the best place to live, work, and learn. The primary issue at hand is taxation.
The second is all of the expenditures that are being funded. The bottom line are the questions: can we afford it and do we want to? The people need a voice on every expenditure.
Q: What is your position on a CFO for Seward County?
A: Can we really afford to add more expenditures to our bottom line? You set a budget and work within that budget. The community has needs in safety and protection that are essential. The facet of operations should be looked at and managed in the most frugal and efficient way possible.
Q: Taxes have been a major issue recently. What will be your approach to taxes?
I will face every issue the same way: what do the people think? The people are speaking loudly and clearly; listen to them.
Q: What else do you think the community should know about you?
I love Liberal and Seward County through and through. My parents, Jay and Saundra Boland, owned and retired from an oilfield company NLS, Inc., here.
I received a great education here at Lincoln Elementary, West Middle School and proudly graduated both Liberal High School in 1989 and Seward County Community College in 2002.
I have completed masters’ degree programs in education with an emphasis in English Speakers of Other Languages, Administration and English. I have proudly worked for both school districts of Liberal and Kismet-Plains.
I have owned and paid taxes on a home here since 2008, and I have the same concerns for our community that you do. We need change.
We need people that will make decisions to help the people of this community to live well and to help them enjoy the fruits from their hard work instead of trying to take away that fruit.
