Smartt, Zechman should regain seats

The county commission could care less about what the people of Warren County think, that is until they come up for election every four years. Don’t believe me, then just wait until they vote on whether to re-appoint the two commissioners who stepped down to seek the state senator seat and see if they don’t try to go against the will of the people.

For those who haven’t been paying attention, 1st District Commissioner Bill Zechman and 3rd District Commissioner George Smartt both stepped down from their seats last month to seek the vacant Senate seat left by Jerry Cooper. However, both were unsuccessful, Smartt garnering a couple of votes while Zechman placed second to winner Steve Roller with 10 votes.

With their unsuccessful bids for Senate, the veteran commissioners are now wanting to return to their county commission seats pending special elections, which will be held in August, which will involve their entire voting districts, the same districts which elected them in the first place. To be returned, the commissioners will first have to be nominated by the other commissioner in their district, something that will likely go through without a hitch.

It’s the next part where I suspect the commission may go against the will of the people as the commission has to, by majority, vote to elect Smartt and Zechman back onto the commission. Word on the street is that the majority of the commission may not opt to elect these two men back into office.

My whole beef with this is that these two men were elected into office by the people of their districts. Zechman has been commissioner in the 1st District since 1986, while Smartt has been commissioner since 1990. Both men were the leading vote-getters in their respective districts for the past several elections, telling me they are both very popular with the voters of their districts. Yet, the commission may be thinking about spitting in the faces of those voters by not returning the men, whom these districts voted for, to their positions ‘ positions they will probably win back in the real elections in August anyway.

While the commissioners will give us double talk, telling us of concerned constituents who called them at home late at night expressing support for their vote against these two, the bottom line is it will come down to politics and hard feelings. It’s no secret these two commissioners rub some of their fellows the wrong way and this is a chance to stick it two both Zechman and Smartt.

However, I see this as the commission sticking it to the voters of the 1st and 3rd districts, the two districts which have overwhelmingly elected these men back into office. I live out in the 12th District and if one of my commissioners stepped down to seek a higher office and then came back needing a re-appointment, I would be livid if the commission did not re-appoint the person whom my district had voted into office. It’d be like the rest of the commission telling me I have no say in my representation.

Folks, the commission can’t say they don’t know the will of the people on this one seeing they can look it up in past election editions of the paper. It’s there in black and white. The people want Zechman and Smartt.

So, if they refuse to re-appoint, the people of McMinnville city, where Zechman serves and the people around Smartt Station, where Smartt serves, should remember how the commissioners from the other districts disrespected their judgment. The people of those districts should also take note seeing it shows a disconnect with the voters.

I really hope I’m wrong on this one because if I’m right, the commission has reached a new pinnacle of arrogance.

Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191.