To continue to talk and do nothing, the Board may start sounding like a group of ‘whiners’. They need to show some backbone and exercise their considerable authority as a Board.

AVOC

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May 14, 2009

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Oconee BOC needs to stop studying & discussing role of Chair & do something or just move on

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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Oconee County Commissioners need to act as a Board

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On May 19, 2009, at 5:30 PM, the Oconee County BOC has another Work Session on government reorganization scheduled in the Community Center at Veterans Park.   This is a follow-up meeting to the May 6 meeting.   I have talked to several who attended the May 6 meeting.   The impressions are varied.

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Some comments:“… four versus one – something will change..”;“…Chairman Davis was red-faced but never lost it….”;“…. (the BOC spent) three hours …. in tentative agreement on an organizational chart that would greatly increase the power of the four commissioners and decrease the unchecked authority of Board Chairman…..”

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It has been over 10 months since the county election in which changes were made in the BOC and the Chairman barely squeaked by.    They talk about “public input’ but don’t seem to mean it.   As with most Bureaucracies, they have ‘studied it’…   The Carl Vinson Institute is a good resource and helped Oconee County in 1989 when the County tried the County Manager route.   However, CVIOG cannot make the decisions.

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As we have said on many occasions, there is no single solution or magic bullet.   Counties with managers have their problems (Jackson County, Jasper County etc).   Some want to blame the charter.  However, the Charter is purposely flexible (some call it vague).    Barrow, Madison and Walton Counties have all litigated the powers of the Chair and Board in the last 20 years where powers were enumerated in detail.    In most counties with an elected chair, the Chair is the Chief Elected Official and Chief Executive Officer.   However, the Chair executes policies and decisions of the Board.

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To me, the matter boils down to MAJORITY RULES.   If the BOARD wants more authority over department heads, they can take the approval authority for hiring, firing and major discipline from the chairman.    The incumbent chair has assumed a lot of authority and the Board has been passive.

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Chairman Melvin Davis has assumed much more authority than he really has

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Two Commissioners have served on the School Board and some of their positions and statements reflect that background.   However, the two entities are different.   What works for the school board will not work for the commission.   The county does not need five “bosses” in daily operations.  I agree with Chairman Davis on that point.   In my tenure, we always included the BOC in the hiring, firing or disciplining of Department Heads.

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One commissioner was quoted as saying something like: “…. I have wanted changes for 8 ½ years…”   That should have been made public years ago.   One has to speak up and let the public and press hear their dissent or disagreement with the Chair.  

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Some say the Chair goes to almost extreme lengths to avoid having to vote, including postponing an issue.   That can be “smoked out” by the Board.   When I was Chair, it was seldom that most folks did not know my position on an issue, even though I did not vote.The chairman should be questioned on the issues and let the public see him waffle or be evasive.

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One commissioner seems to ride the fence.   He compliments the Chairman on a “Well Run County”.   He expressed concern that the county may be one election or one illness away from not being well run or words to that effect.    Many would differ and say the county has been well run and will be well run in the future.   Most of us have faith in the voters to determine what is well run.

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The Board can, by Resolution (majority vote), change a number of things:  setting agendas; approving hiring and firing of Department Heads; require public reports to the Board, vote against an issue or executive session if they do not have information and so state publicly.

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To continue to talk and do nothing, the Board may start sounding like a group of ‘whiners’.    They need to show some backbone and exercise their considerable authority.  

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/050809/new_437463807.shtml

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May 8, 2009

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Some prefer Davis' grip on government in Oconee loosened

Commission talks reorganization

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By Adam Thompson

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As they discussed solutions Wednesday, commissioners mostly blamed the problems on the county's vague charter, which sets up the chairman as the county's chief executive officer without defining that role.

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"It's the design, not the person," Luke said………………

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Still, commissioners want more clearly defined roles for future board members, Luke said while praising Davis' work as chairman.

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"There are pieces and parts of (county operations) I certainly don't like, but we're well-run," he said. "But we may very well not be well-run after one more election, one more illness."

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Since the November election, commissioners have asked for quarterly finance reports and scheduled regular updates from county department heads………………………………..