Smartt, Zechman have earned the right to serve

TO THE EDITOR:

I read with interest the letter to the editor Friday in the Southern Standard. The best I could gather from the letter was that the writer wanted to punish the two county commissioners who offered themselves for appointment to the senate seat vacated by Jerry Cooper.

George Smartt and Bill Zechman have served with distinction for several terms on the Warren County Commission and should not be deprived of the chance to return to the commission. Each has chaired a very important committee for several years. Both have devoted (donated) hundreds of hours to become and remain informed so as to better serve the citizens of Warren County.

I have known each since they were boys. George was a teenager growing up on the family farm, and Bill was a young man around town when his father worked in the courthouse. Each went away to college and both came back Warren County to start families and careers that changed and evolved into where each is today.

I found each of them to be concerned and involved but reasonable parents as their children came through Warren County High School. These men are not carpetbaggers who have swooped down on the unsuspecting citizens of the districts where they were elected to harvest political good will and move on without regard to the citizens of Warren County. These are men who were raised here and chose to return to live here.

Thomas Vaughn was correct in bringing to question the manner and procedure for appointing replacements for the two resigned commissioners. (Mr. Vaughn himself at first glance might have been the most qualified choice to replace Sen. Cooper.)

However, procedure and openness should not serve as an excuse to punish either Smartt or Zechman. If either chooses to stand for appointment to the seat they previously held, then it would presumptuous for the members of the commission to disregard the wishes of the voters and appoint someone other than the official elected in the past election.

In the event voters from either the district held by Smartt or Zechman are unhappy with the resignation and reappointment, then the special election held later this year will afford those voters the opportunity to elect someone else. Their combination of informed leadership AND experience is a rare commodity in Warren County.

Jim Williams

Vervilla Road

Morrison