Reducing commission smart step for county
Warren County has traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, so much so political candidates would not even attempt a run for office on the Republican ticket. To do so would have been political suicide just 10 years ago.
But times have changed and some local voters are beginning to shed their Democratic ties and vote Republican. George W. Bush even carried Warren County in the 2004 presidential election ? what is believed to be a first for a Republican presidential candidate.
It might be time to vote Republican again in the 2006 local elections if Republicans are sincere in their platform of wanting to reduce the size of government, in particular the size of the Warren County Commission. Local Republican Party chairman Charlie Moss says all Republicans seeking a seat on the county commission will run on the platform of reducing the commission size from 24 to 12 if elected.
With 24 members, the Warren County Commission is too big. Way too big. The extra baggage only produces a government that’s plagued by inefficiency and bogged down by bickering because there are too many members to appease.
Based on the size of other county commissions, Warren County has no need for 24 members. Other much larger counties operate with much smaller governing bodies.
Hamilton County, which is home of Chattanooga, is one of the best examples. Based on 2004 population estimates, Hamilton County has 310,000 residents and nine county commissioners.
Shelby County (Memphis) has a population of 908,000 and a county commission with 12 members. Knox County (Knoxville) has a population of 400,000 and a county commission of 20. Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) has a population of 210,000 and a county commission of 21.
With that in mind, there is absolutely, positively no reason for Warren County, with 39,500 residents to have a county commission with 24 members. There’s no way to rationalize such excessive representation. It only adds to the burden of every Warren County taxpayer and slows the speed at which our government operates.
The city of McMinnville, with six aldermen on its board, takes action much quicker than the Warren County Commission. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a level of government acting slower than the Warren County Commission.
That’s why a shift from 24 to 12 members would be a welcome change and one the Southern Standard fully endorses. It would be a relatively easy transition since the county currently has 12 districts. Instead of electing two officials per district, voters would elect one. That one representative, in turn, would be held more accountable by the people.
County officials recently approved a 2005-06 budget where they slashed non-profit requests and cut spending around every possible corner. Now it’s time they turned the proverbial knife on themselves and cut the fat from the county commission.