White County Executive Q7 Candidate Responses

Over the past several weeks, readers have submitted questions they want answered ahead of the 2026 election—and we’ve taken those directly to your County Executive candidates.

Here is your seventh question, and answers from those candidates who chose to respond.

It seems that the County only plans for 1 year at a time, driven by budget deadlines. To be successful, there should be a 3 year or greater plan in place.

How will you, as County Executive outline long-term goals, key focus areas, and financial projections to drive growth and identify year-over-year milestones for operational goals?

DENNY WAYNE ROBINSON:Long-term planning has always been a core part of my administration. While the county budget is, by law, adopted on a one-year basis, that annual budget is guided by multi-year goals, financial projections, and operational priorities.

As County Executive, I set long-term objectives and then use each annual budget cycle to move us closer to those goals with clear, measurable milestones. Many of the successes we are experiencing today did not happen by accident, they are the result of years of planning, disciplined decision-making, and financial stewardship.

Examples include our economic growth, our strong financial stability, the effort to pay down and eliminate debt in the county general fund, and the success and long-term sustainability of our Solid Waste Department. These outcomes were achieved by looking beyond a single budget year and planning for the future.

Moving forward, I will continue to outline multi-year goals, identify key focus areas, and use long-range financial forecasting to guide decisions while ensuring each yearly budget advances those long-term plans. Responsible government requires both vision for the future and accountability year-to-year, and that balance has been, and will remain, a priority of my administration

KYLE GOFF: As County Executive, I will implement a structured strategic planning process, something I have successfully led at the YMCA. When I stepped into leadership there, we moved from reactive decision-making to a long-term, mission-driven strategy. Very different entities but the same mindset: clarity, alignment, and measurable progress.

We will establish clear long-term goals and key focus areas. These will be rooted in the core needs of our county: public safety, infrastructure, economic development, and quality of life. This should and will reflect input from our citizens. We will build realistic financial projections. This includes planning for capital improvements, and identifying future cost pressures, which will be a result of open communication with other elected officials and department heads.Each department will have measurable objectives tied directly to the broader strategic plan.

We will not try to reinvent the wheel. I will leverage proven strategic plans from other successful counties and utilize resources like CTAS to guide best practices.

Most importantly, this will be a collaborative effort. The County Commission will be actively involved in both the development and ongoing evaluation of the plan. Alignment between the Executive Office and the Commission is essential if we are going to move forward effectively.

PENNY WHALEY: By promoting long term business and industry operations to promote growth of White County. Granted budgets are only adopted year by year, however future prospective for bringing in solid revenue into our county needs to be a long-term goal when adopting a budget. Looking to future revenue will promote solid budget year after year.

JOE HALLUMS: In any business or office, it is essential to have a 3-to-5-year strategic plan.

I will define and prioritize my strategic plan based on the level of importance and financial impact for the county. This shared vision, financial plan and timeline will be documented, reviewed and updated on a regular scheduled basis. This will be shared with the public for feedback.

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