Rogers should chair county commission
Warren County commissioners decided last week to appoint County Executive Kenneth Rogers as the new chairman of the commission. By all accounts, this was the proper move to make.
During his first year on the job, Rogers opted not to preside over county commission meetings. This was a decision he made, in part, so he could have veto power over any action taken by commissioners.
While veto power is no doubt a nice luxury, it should not take priority over one of the primary functions of the county executive. That function is running commission meetings and being a take-charge leader for this county. It’s difficult to attain that goal to the fullest extent when there’s someone else controlling meetings.
Those statements should not demean the fine job former chairperson Sally Brock did during her one-year tenure leading the commission. Brock, who was voted chairperson by her peers, deserves to be commended for all the time and effort she devoted to the job. As commission chairperson, she was a member of every standing committee and somehow found time to attend virtually every meeting. Coupled with her regular full-time job, it’s a small wonder Brock didn’t reach complete exhaustion.
As a commissioner, Brock is considered a full-time county employee for insurance purposes, but her hours are only expected to be part-time. And her pay, at $260 a month, is commensurate to the time she is expected to devote. As commission chairperson, she also received $20 for every meeting she attended.
As an elected official, it is Brock’s duty to accept a leadership role, but she is not supposed to be the leader. She is expected to represent her constituents, who only compose a small portion of the county.
Rogers, on the other hand, was elected county executive by voters from Rock Island to Morrison. He was voted by the people as this county’s top administrator. He should be the one with the gavel in his hand controlling commission meetings. He should be the one in charge of maintaining order when county commissioners begin to squabble. Based on tradition, that is an all-to-frequent occurrence.
It should also be noted that as county executive, that is Rogers’ full-time job. With a salary of $62,333 a year, he is not expected to hold down another job. Being the county executive is his job.
It’s for all those reasons that it makes sense for the county executive to serve as chairman during commission meetings. The proverbial buck stops in the county executive’s office. Rogers is the bottom line. He should be the one managing meetings and the Standard is confident he will do a fine job in his new capacity.