Changing form of governance is not necessarily good, definitely not easy
The same organization, the Walker County Republican Party, that in years past pushed so hard for instituting a sole commissioner form of government has decided the time is again ripe for change. Change to a multi-member board, that is.
Whether that call for change is due to distaste with the incumbent more than souring on the form of governance itself is open to debate.
But after years, and several elections, the matter is gaining serious consideration.
“I want to emphasize I’ve not changed my opinion, but we will move forward with what the people want done,” state Rep. Steve Tarvin, R-Chickamauga, said when asked about the recent primary election in which voters by a 3-1 margin said they wanted a change. “Over half of those calling me are not so much opposed to the sole commissioner form of government but are opposed to the (incumbent) commissioner.”
Tarvin, along with state Rep. John Deffenbaugh and state Sen. Jeff Mullis, has repeatedly pointed out that careful preparation is required — a plan for how any changes would be implemented must be agreed on — before scrapping what now is in place.
“Am I convinced we need a board? No, the sole commissioner is the cheapest form of government,” Tarvin said. “The average millage (property tax) rate for counties with a sole commissioner is 8.85 mills compared to 12.5 mills for those with multi-member commissions. But I’ve talked to a lot of people and this is a hot-button issue.”
Opponents of four-term commis- sioner Bebe Heiskell have focused on voting her out of office and installing a board that would divide the power — and responsibility — among several. But such a change is years away.
“People think they’ll vote for a change quick, that is not the case,” Tarvin said. “I’ve been telling them that for a year. 2018 is the earliest that the matter could ever be put on the ballot.”
Tarvin said his understanding is that “you can’t elect a person to sole commissioner and then change the form while they are still in office” and even if mid-term change was a possibility, that commissioner would be due their salary for their fouryear term.
“The earliest we can elect a slate of commissioners is in November of 2020 — if a resolution is approved by the voters — no matter if the subject is approached now or in 2018,” he said.
Adoption in 2020 would give the legislature time to consider and act on changes. Of equal importance, the several year lag in implementation would allow potential candidates to think about running for office and for careful consideration of how the “new” government is going to operate.
While the straw poll showed a willingness to switch, there is still a general election in November that will decide who will be Walker County’s commissioner for the next four years.
Incumbent Heiskell, a long-time Republican but now running as an Independent, and GOP challenger Whitfield — along with Perry Lamb, still seeking enough signatures on
Having a multi-member board does not eliminate the salary paid a sole commissioner, but it does spread the cost around.
Catoosa County, which years ago shifted from a sole commissioner to a board consisting of four commissioners elected from defined districts and a board chairman elected by all the county’s registered voters, pays its commissioners.
The fiscal 2015 budget for salaries, benefits, travel and other expenses for the part-time commissioners totaled $278,500.
Chief Financial Officer Carl Henson said the chairman’s annual salary is about $18,600 and each of the four commissioners is paid about $12,600.
For day-to-day operations, the board of commissioners hires a county manager. The fiscal 2015 budget called for the manager and assistant being paid a total of $149,000 in salaries.
Jim Walker, hired last September as Catoosa’s manager, has a base salary of $125,000.
a petition to allow his running as an Independent — have publicly stated their willingness to let the “people” decide the issue.
“What I heard was that the voters wanted Shannon Whitfield to be the last sole commissioner,” said Whitfield, who won the recent GOP primary.
Last Friday, Whitfield said that, once elected, his priorities would be to have “a viable, workable balanced budget in place and get the county’s finances in order” and that balancing the budget would have top priority.
In a press release issued this week, Whitfield commented on the recent straw poll:
“The vote was crystal clear; the citizens of Walker County want a board of commissioners, and they are looking for Shannon Whitfield to be the last Sole Commissioner of Walker County,” stated Whitfield. “People have lost confidence and trust in the sole (commissioner) form of government because we’ve not had transparency and accountability for a long time in Walker County government.
“I think a 75 percent straw vote in favor of a board of commissioners sends a very clear directive to our local delegation. I very much look forward to working with Senator Mullis, and Representatives Tarvin and Deffenbaugh on this issue.”
Whitfield, who served on the five member Chickamauga City Council, said that he “would need to evaluate the situation” before deciding on whether or not to seek election to a multi-member Walker County Board of Commissioners.
“I don’t intend to make a career out of county government,” he said.
Heiskell, when asked last week about the possibility of changing the manner of governing said the matter should be decided by a referendum, one that attracts more than a small percentage of the county’s registered voters.
“I’m not holding them back,” she said, adding that “not one soul” has directly asked her to support changing to a multi-member commission.
“I’d like to see a better cross representa- tion if you really want to find out what people want,” she said of the recent straw poll. “If people want it (change) they ought to have a chance to say so in a referendum — we need to get our heads together and decide this.”
Adding a binding referendum on the 2018 ballot requires the local delegation present such a request for a local act during the next legislative session. The state legislators would then allow or disallow such an item being included on a Walker County ballot.
Though none of the local representatives — Sen. Jeff Mullis, RChickamauga; John Deffenbaugh, R-Look- out Mountain or Tarvin — are vocal supporters of shifting from a single commissioner to a board, they agree it is a matter worth serious consideration. “What I want to do is see how many citizens live in each precinct and how it could be fairly split up and that is how the board would be made up,” Tarvin said. “I think my preference, if it goes on the ballot, is to specify how the board would be constituted, I want to stop any arguments before we vote."
So even if the consensus is that change is coming, a lot needs to be thought through in advance of adding a referendum to the 2018 ballot.