Our Opinions
Rotating chairmen

We've often equated the Clarke County Commission chairman's term to a pregnancy term but often without the same significant results.

The five county commissioners rotate the chairmanship among themselves every nine months or so.

It hasn't worked and isn't working and, to their credit, commissioners said last week some kind of fix is needed.

It all dates back to the 1980s when the county was challenged by blacks. A fifth commission district was added with the assurance that it had a majority black population so as to give the county two black commissioners. Then, the big mistake was the taking away of the chairmanship duties from the countywide elected probate judge and allowing it to rotate among the five commissioners during their four-year terms. The rotation was to ensure that the blacks would have an equal opportunity at being chairman.

The slightly more than ninemonth term was the result of dividing 48 months-a four-year term-by five commissioners.

Commissioners have worked well together on projects but the chairmanship can still sometimes be a headache. Current Chairman Paul Bradford noted last week that Louisiana Pacific has worked with four different chairmen since the OSB plant project started.

It makes sense that one person be chairman for a longer period of time so as to present a face of continuity to the public and people and entities that may be working with the county-such as LP.

While everyone agrees a change is needed, what that change should be is another issue.

Can commissioners decide among themselves on a longer term for one of their members? Or should the chairman slot be revamped and made a countywide position? If so, would it be a fulltime position? Commissioners are part-time now and that seems to be working fine.

The answer may not be easy but we agree that something needs to be done. Swapping chairmen every nine months isn't the answer.

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