The Citizen Advisory Committee on Commission Structure (CAC) will soon be sending a survey to eight counties that have been identified as being similar to Pickens County in “key categories.”
The purpose of the survey, drafted by members of CAC’s research subcommittee, is to gather information regarding the make-up of each county’s commission. Questions are expected to include: How many commissioners? Are they part or full-time? Is there a county administrator or manager? Benefits, salaries, commission staff members and other expenses incurred by the county are also requested.
David Robinson of the research subcommittee presented the draft at Monday’s structure subcommittee meeting and spoke briefly about the “key categories” that were used to determine which counties would receive the survey.
“The criteria included population density, population growth rate comparable to Pickens…and also forms of government…” Robinson said.
All eight counties chosen to survey operate using various forms of a five-person board, which an earlier structure subcommittee straw poll identified as the top preference at this point in the process.
The eight counties chosen to survey are Floyd, Gordon, Dawson, Lumpkin, Oconee, Jackson, Paulding and Habersham – all of which fall above the “gnat line,” or north of Macon.
Following minor tweaking by the structure subcommittee, the edited draft of the survey will be sent to the county clerk in Dawson County where CAC Chairman Phil Anderson previously served as county manager.
“We have asked her to be vicious in her constructive criticism,” Anderson said.
After the survey is returned from Dawson’s county clerk, a final draft will be created and sent to the remaining seven counties.
Despite the initial straw poll showing similar opinions among members of the structure subcommittee regarding the number of commission members, there have been no concrete decisions regarding what alternative to the current sole commissioner form of government will be presented to voters.
The structure subcommittee is waiting for input from public hearings and other comments submitted through the Pickens County government website before they narrow their recommendations down to three choices for full committee discussion.
The final choice will be presented to the public at October hearings.
It has also been repeatedly emphasized at CAC meetings that they are a study group charged with drafting a workable multi-person form of government best suited for Pickens County. Voters will ultimately make the decision to either pass the CAC’s proposed structure or to remain with a sole commissioner, voting in a binding referendum to appear on the November 2010 ballot.
A majority of Pickens County voters expressed a desire to explore transitioning to a multi-person structure in the 2008 election.
The structure subcommittee has also received copies of a study of the Dawson County Board of Commissioner’s compensation at their meeting. The study was performed by a group of private citizens in 2005.
The study was performed pro bono after Dawson commissioners suspected the compensation they were receiving was not in-line with the standards of comparable counties.
Structure committee members will review the study, which includes an analysis of commission compensation to counties identified as being similar to Dawson, and will resume discussion of the document at their next scheduled meeting on June 22.
Anderson also expects to have received the completed surveys by that time.
For more information about the possibility of moving to a multi-person commission, visit www.pickensprogress.com and click on the “Moving to a Multi-Person Commission” link. |
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