My Goals as a County Commissioner
Posted 02-25-1996
As I complete my second month as the newly-elected County Commissioner I must say the
challenges of the job are tremendous. Imagine getting up every morning and going to work
with 2,000 employees and a budget of $170 million. And there is no formal training for the
job.
Other than a long list of meetings
scheduled on the second and fourth Tuesdays and Thursdays of each month, Commissioners
really have no schedule to follow. We are on our own to shape our schedule in the areas of
county government that are of interest and importance to the individual. Along with a
varying set of other elected officials, the three Commissioners also serve as members of
the Prison Board, The Juvenile Detention Board, The Retirement Board, the Salary Board,
and we make up the Board of Directors of the County Industrial Development Corporation.
Without doubt, my biggest challenge so far,
in addition to trying to understand the budget, is effectively managing my time. The
volume of correspondence is incredible as well as the number of requests to meet with
citizens and groups that are curious about the new Commissioner. In order to spend more
time with my family, I've had to cut back on the number of events I attend after being out
virtually every night during the campaign. So time management has become a real juggling
act.
The challenges of county government are
truly tremendous particularly in a climate where the political rhetoric at the federal and
state level is to shift everything to the local level. While that sounds good, and we
certainly want to have input into policy affecting our citizens, shifting more of a
financial burden on local government to provide the services citizens need and expect will
not work. One thing I've quickly learned is county government cannot bear a greater
financial burden and maintain the same level of service.
My goals as a new Commissioner are simple.
One, I want to find as many ways possible to save the taxpayers' money and make county
government efficient in the way we operate and deliver services. Two, I want to make
county government a facilitator in economic development so we can create private sector
jobs and young people can stay here. Three, and perhaps the most difficult, I want to work
to restore people's faith in their elected officials. The cynicism that we are all the
same and only act in our own self interest can only be changed over time. It will come
when people realize I committed to fulfilling campaign pledges and living like the people
I represent and will stay accessible throughout my time in office.
I hope to make this column a regular
feature in this newspaper and will share information about what is happening with county
government. I welcome the opportunity to share my experiences with you and hope I can
contribute to a creating a more informed electorate. |
