Samantha Hurst

1. Why do you want this position?

I ran in 2022 because people were not being held accountable for their criminal conduct. Between January 2015 and December 2022, 15 habitual offender enhancements were filed. Between January 2023 and August 2026, 55 habitual offender enhancements were filed. There were several cases still pending in January 2023 from before I took office that should have had habitual enhancements and did not. Plea agreements are not inherently bad, however, some plea agreements were unnecessarily too lenient. We need plea agreements, but we also need to be willing and capable of trying the cases that need to go to trial.

2. What does this office have the authority to do?

This office is responsible for charging criminal acts based on reports from law enforcement. We then make decisions about the resolution of a case. Fixed plea agreements have a sentence that was agreed upon by the State and Defense. Open pleas do not have an agreed sentence, so the Judge determines the sentence within the limits of the law. Sentences after trial are determined by the judge.

3. What is the most important problem connected to this office?

Public safety is the main priority. We work closely with police to make sure they are supported. They can call us at anytime, and they do! We try to find that delicate balance between getting people help for mental health and addiction and holding people accountable for criminal conduct.

4. What are your three most important goals?

Specific Result You Want to Achieve: Fight for victims and hold offenders accountable.
Authority This Office Has to Pursue It: We are a link in the chain, but we work hard to make sure the other links have what they need too.
Estimated Cost: Undetermined
Proposed Funding Source: General Fund and Pre-Trial Diversion
Expected Completion Date: 12/31/2026
How Residents Can Measure Whether It Succeeded: Ask the victims and their families how they feel after working with our office.

5. What will you do during your first year?

I will continue to work hard for the people of Perry County. I will use my experience to effectively and efficiently handle cases.

6. What could prevent your plan from succeeding?

Not getting re-elected would prevent my plan from succeeding.

7. What is your understanding of the budget?

The approximate budget from County General last year was $62,000 for the prosecutor’s office. Full budgets are available for review. The largest spending priority in this office is staff. The prosecutor and deputy prosecutors in Perry are not county paid. Only the support staff is county paid.

8. What budget changes would you recommend?

Pay raises for county employees.

9. Would you support a public dashboard showing approved budget, actual spending, contracts and vendors, project status, original and final contract amounts, change orders, completion dates, and audit findings?

Yes. I’m not sure who would manage that or the cost, but if someone had the time and it didn’t cost money I think it would be great.

10. What is your policy on competitive bidding?

I think it’s important, but that’s not my role.

11. When should a contract be awarded without open bidding? Would you disclose the relationship publicly, recuse yourself when legally or ethically appropriate, avoid private involvement in vendor selection, and publish the reason for the final contract award?

This is not my role. Yes to all four questions above, though these are all important, they are not my role.

23. Would you support TownVines maintaining a public page that tracks your campaign commitments, their status, budget approved, actual spending, major votes and decisions, projects and contractors, original and final project costs, measurable results, and sources and verification dates?

Yes. These don’t really apply to my role, but accountability is important.

24. What should happen if you do not fulfill a promise?

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Not being able to achieve a realistic goal is not always failure on the part of the person trying.

25. Final measurable commitment

If elected I will continue to support our law enforcement and fight for victims.