Sheriff Mike Spanos on the New Form of County Government -- WCCCG

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 13:50:08 10/26/00 Thu
Author: Sheriff Mike Spanos
Subject: Sheriff Mike Spanos on the New Form of County Government

For more than twenty years, I have worked with a three member county commission form of government. Some of the different personalities were Pete Coleman, Orson Hicken, Larry Duke, Raymond Jacoletti, Faye McGuire, Lorin Allred, Keith Jacobsen, Sharron Winterton, LaRen Provost, Ralph Duke, Michael Kohler. Has it been a good process? Well, it's more complex, more demanding more diverse. Have the commissioners made mistakes? Yes, all of them have. Have we progressed? Sure. Have some feelings been hurt? Many. Are there now a few vocal citizens who are dissatisfied with the current commissioners? Obviously, and they have formed a group called WATCHPAC.

The big question now is whether we let those who haven't gotten their way sway us through negative press and misrepresentation to change the form of government by using aggressive tactics. Our mistakes will be punishing a system that has been working for years because some disagree with the current commissioners. Perhaps our form of government does need to be changed. But that should come only after thoughtful, in-depth consideration of the issues.

If a Mike Spanos or a Ralph Duke is thought not to be taking care of the citizens, we should vote him out of the office. We shouldn't align ourselves with special-interest groups who profess knowledge and, heaven forbid, would never under any circumstances be able to make an unpopular decision. WATCHPAC members believe they have all the answers. They profess to know everything and they think they have all the solutions. This is simply not the case.

There are probably many good things that would result from a seven-member commission, or a five-member commission. More likely, we would have springing up new controversies, new problems, more complex issues, yes and even more special-interest groups who would find vehicles to espouse their discontent and find fault with the decisions of the new policy makers - not three, but now seven. Talk about being divided - consensus would be difficult. What we have in WATCHPAC is a few individuals effectively persuading the many (without the many doing much research or really becoming involved) that a new form of government will solve what WATCHPAC perceives as problems. Not so my good friends. We need many, many more independent of WATCHPAC, to study and research what the problems really are. We need to know some of the strengths, not of the individual commissioners, but of the present system.

You haven't heard much about the additional costs of a seven-member commissions but paying seven costs much more than paying three. Do you have any idea what a county manager might cost? Here are some low-end estimates:
Salary: $75,000
Benefits: $26,250 (35%)
Vehicle: $20,000
Gas/Maint.: $3,500
Travel/Expenses: $10,000

$134,750 for the county manager alone. This manager is appointed under the new form of government. He/she will be making substantially more than any of the elected officals, but keep in mind, will not have hany supervisory authority over the elected officials. The couny manager, in many onlookers' opinions, will be the dump-all for all the problems that will confront seven different commissioners who neither have the time nor the answers to the many and same complex and diverse questions presently confronting our county. The county manager won't even be required to live in the county nor would he/she be accountable to the electorate.

Let's not jump on the WATCHPAC bandwagon on November 7th. Government growht, services and working together are complex activities made even more difficult by the negative compaign put forward by this group. If we have problems, as we always have, solve them but don't assassinate people.

Ask yourselves, has county government done anything right? Have the commissioners and other elected officals made any good decissions? We are well aware what WATCHPAC doesn't like, but has WATCHPAC been positive or encouraging about anything? My recollection is we haven't read much about positive things, and I submit to you there are many positive things happening.

If you don't like the three men vote them out. Don't take the work of WATCHPAC that county government in its present form is not working. Study investigate, suggest, become involved. These things have not been done. Don't jump on the bandwagon hastily.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]