Yuhasz files to run for second term as county commissioner

Steve Yuhasz has been involved with county government for nearly 30 years.

But the freshman county commissioner said he only wants one more term and then will retire from the position.

“I don’t intend to be a career politician,” Yuhasz said.

Yuhasz, a Democrat, worked his way up in county government while pursuing dual careers in surveying and law.

He spent his first years in county work on the county’s planning board and economic development commission in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Yuhasz later went to law school from 2000 to 2004, and in 2008 he was elected as a county commissioner.

Yuhasz said his commitment and dedication to the people of Orange County inspired him to become a public official. He said he ran because he felt his region of the county was poorly represented.

“The county government was not serving them to the best that it could,” Yuhasz said. “I felt I could bring perspective to the board.”

And Yuhasz’s friends and colleagues say he has succeeded.

“Steve has done an exceptional job as county commissioner,” Ben Lloyd said. Lloyd served as commissioner from 1982 to 1986 and was friends with Yuhasz, who was on the planning board at the time.

“Nobody can do everything right, but Steve listens and acts accordingly,” Lloyd said.

Yuhasz, who served as vice chairman of the board in 2011, said he thinks his first term was a success.

“It does take a while once you become commissioner to work through all the things Orange County government does for its people and to recognize the services it provides,” Yuhasz said.

He said in the future, he wants to ensure that commissioners don’t raise taxes each year and that his district is represented.

Fellow Commissioner Earl McKee complimented Yuhasz’s productivity and commitment.

“He acquaints himself very well with the material,” McKee said. “As with all of the board members, we bring our own independent viewpoints. It’s necessary to have many different viewpoints on the board.”

As of Sunday, Renee Price, a Democrat, and Chris Weaver, a Republican, had filed their candidacy to challenge Yuhasz’s seat. The candidate filing period runs through Feb. 29.

This profile is part of a series on Orange County Board of Commissioners candidates.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.