While discussing personal preferences for a multi-person commission, members of the Citizen Advisory Committee on Commission Structure’s (CAC) research committee highlighted a crucial issue for commission structure --- should vision/goal setting responsibilities and policy making fall to one person, or should they be separated?
“Do you think one person can be the visionary, the goal setter and the day to day manager?” CAC Chair Phil Anderson asked member Tim Jordan after he expressed his preference for a full-time commission chair. “Well I wouldn’t want that job because I don’t think one person can do it adequately,” Anderson added.
Of the three remaining multi-person commission options being considered by the CAC, two utilize a full-time paid county manager and one operates with a full-time chair.
By and large, the county manager is a hired professional with experience in the public sector, and can be compared to the CEO of a corporation. The county manager has the power to hire and fire department heads, prepares the annual budget, and operates the county’s day-to-day business using the legislation/policies created by the multi-person commission.
A full-time elected chair, on the other hand, presides over commission meetings and assumes both political and administrative roles, similar to our current sole-commissioner. This is a strong leadership position with the power to hire and fire department heads, but because the position is an elected position there is no guarantee that the person who fills this role will have appropriate qualifications to run a county government.
A full-time chair along with other board commissioners could, if they feel it is necessary, hire a full-time county manager or administrator.
Research subcommittee member David Robinson, who said he was initially leaning toward a full-time chair because it is the most similar to the current sole-commissioner government in Pickens County, said, however, “I have worked under more county managers and it worked very smoothly. Under the manager position I have found that more professional department heads are hired.”
Robinson, also the chair of the Pickens County Democratic Party, said he ultimately prefers a part-time chair with a county manager, but again said, “The biggest problem I have with that system is that it is the greatest deviation from our current system.”
Here are the three remaining multi-person commission structures being considered by the CAC:
• Four part-time commissioners, with a part-time chair (serving four-year staggered terms) and a county manager to be hired by the board. All commissioners and the chair to be elected by district. Five districts total.
• Four part-time commissioners, with a part-time chair (all to serve four-year staggered terms) and a county manager to be hired by the board. All commissioners to be elected by district, with the board chair to be elected county-wide. Four districts total.
•Four part-time commissioners with a full-time chair, all to serve four-year staggered terms. All commissioners would be elected by district while the chair would be elected county wide. Four districts total. In this option the board of commissioners could, if they deem necessary, opt to hire either a county administrator or county manager.
The research subcommittee also spent time planning for the October 5 public hearing, to be held at Chattahoochee Technical College’s Appalachian Campus from noon to 8 p.m. Members of the public are invited to drop in and visit several stations, each manned by either members of the CAC or members of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. There will be one station for each of the three remaining options and one station that will focus on the comparison of those three options.
CAC members will offer information and answer questions the public may have about the remaining multi-person commission forms and will consider input they receive from the public as they choose the final multi-person commission option.
Voters ultimately will decide if a multi-person commission government replaces the current sole commissioner format. A binding referendum will appear on the 2010 general election ballot.
For past coverage of the CAC and Pickens’ possible move to a multi-person commission visit www.pickensprogress.com and click on the “Moving to a Multi-Person Commission” link.
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