Letter: Vote Brad Peck to improve mental health care

For a community that does so many things so well, we are failing our citizens with mental illness.

Several years ago, I watched Franklin County Commissioner Brad Peck propose building a 24/7 mental health triage facility in the Tri-Cities, to give police somewhere other than jail to take people with mental health issues. His plan didn’t raise taxes, yet other commissioners showed little interest in mental health issues.

Frankly, compassion for the most vulnerable people in our community was not what I initially expected from the outspoken commissioner — a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and Middle East veteran known for setting high standards for himself and other county employees.

I was wrong. His compassion for the less fortunate, and for veterans, is deep and completely genuine. Perhaps his military training and demeanor unintentionally masks outward expression of such caring qualities?

Nevertheless, he gets it. He understands how critical this issue has become.

Commissioner Brad Peck is a visionary with purpose; smart, brutally honest and unafraid of tough issues. Those are all qualities I want in my elected officials. I hope you agree.

Your vote for Brad Peck is a vote for improved mental health care in our community.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 4:33 AM with the headline "Letter: Vote Brad Peck to improve mental health care."