Dawson County Commission Chairman Mike Berg, who has a laundry list of county government credentials including his now heavy involvement with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, was the first of three speakers to address members of the CAC regarding the final three commission structures being considered for Pickens.
Commissioners from counties with other forms of government will be at future meetings of the CAC. Dates have not been scheduled.
“If you don’t remember anything else from tonight,” Mike Berg told members of the Citizen Advisory Committee, “remember to qualify [for candidacy] you just have to be over 21 and have no felonies.”
Troubling facts from Berg’s point of view, who repeatedly emphasized to members of the CAC that having a good structure for county government in no way guarantees qualified candidates will enter the race.
“That leaves a wide range of qualifications,” Berg said, who admitted there are days he wishes he had the authority of a sole commissioner. When working with a commission board, he said, “You rarely have everyone working together.” He added, however, that there are “other days I need [the board’s] comment…It goes both ways.”
But Berg wasn’t here to argue for or against the sole commission. He was here to give some insight about the final three commission structures for Pickens, one of which is very similar to the Dawson County commission board where he is now serving as a second-term part-time chairman.
The three final options being considered by the CAC are as follows:
Option A - Five districts, five part-time commissioners elected by district, chair chosen by board, county manager.
Option B - Four districts, four part-time commissioners elected by district, full-time chair elected county-wide.
Option C - Four districts, four part-time commissioners elected by district, part-time chair elected county-wide, county manager
By and large Berg recommended Option C from the list above, but said he preferred commissioners to be elected county-wide rather than by-district. Here are the high-water marks of Berg’s discussion with the CAC, the entirety of which can be viewed at www.knowpickens.com in the videos section:
Full-time chair or part-time chair?
Berg said, from his point of view, a part-time chairperson is preferable to a full-time chair. Full-time chairs are elected by the citizens of the county and, again, there is no guarantee as to the qualifications that chair will possess. If the county elects a full-time chair without the discipline of running a big business, such as a county government, Berg said it would be necessary to hire a county manager or county administrator which would jack the cost of government up.
Berg also said having both a full-time chair and a county manager or administrator can cause confusion amongst employees who can become unclear about who is in charge.
Rotating chair or elected chair?
Berg pointed out just one upside of having rotating chairs. He said everyone on the commission board gets a chance to lead, but he was quick to add that in this situation citizens don’t get the opportunity to choose their own chairperson, which Berg said typically acts as a kind of county spokesperson.
Commissioners elected county wide or by district?
Berg prefers commissioners be elected county-wide. While Berg says voting by-district keeps candidates and their constituents in close contact and discourages strong central groups from dominating the commission board, he said it is difficult to build cohesion amongst district-elected commissioners.
Berg also said having county-wide elected commissioners can keep turf wars to a minimum. District commissioners, he said, tend to focus on the wellbeing of their own constituents rather than the wellbeing of the county as a whole.
Berg said it is not uncommon for commissioners elected by district to pander to their constituents to ensure their election term after term.
Is a county manager necessary if you have a full-time chair?
In Berg’s experience it is extremely rare that a full-time elected chair possesses the wherewithal to run the day-to-day operations of a county government. Berg said both full-time chairs and part-time chairs typically require the assistance of a county manager (or administrator).
“Again it depends on the nature of who’s running,” he said, “…but to me it’s a necessity.”
Four districts or five districts?
In Berg’s opinion, having five districts in a county the size of Pickens is excessive. Berg said the cost of government increases the more districts you have.
Term limits
“I like them,” Berg said, who told the CAC that while there is now only one county in Georgia with term limits, Chatham County, they allow new thoughts and voices to enter into the arena of local politics.
Berg did mention, however, that commissioners have a high turnover rate. One quarter of Georgia’s commissioners are replaced every two years, he said.
The added costs
Berg said in Dawson County, which has four part-time commissioners and one part-time chair all elected county wide and a county manager, the increased cost of operating using a multi-person board is approximately $60,000 above what Pickens taxpayers now spend for a sole-commission.
Adding a full-time county manager or administrator to a system that uses a full-time chairperson (not the style used in Dawson) would add approximately $90,000 to that figure, he said.
Berg also warned that while salaries for part-time commissioner are low, usually in the ballpark of $10,000, some counties pay handsome stipends for meetings and work sessions that, over time, can add up to a hefty figure.
Berg advised salaries for commissioners remain at a rate that would not entice citizens to run for monetary gain. This, he said, would help to ensure those who run do so to help the citizens of the county.
Voters will ultimately decide if a multi-person commission government will replace the current sole commissioner format. A binding referendum will appear on the 2010 general election ballot.
The CAC is charged with determining which form of a multi-person commission is the best suited for Pickens.
Previous stories and additional reference material on multi-member commissions can be found by following the multi-man link at www.pickensprogress.com.
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