terrybankert
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# 42 'Manager' idea returns, will Flint be represented?
[FLINT MI USA] 05.17.05
By: Terry R. Bankert
Commissioner mulls 'county exec with training wheels' concept See the "Flint Journal "
Sunday, May 15, 2005 Sections with " " are from that article
" Want to change county government, but not comfortable with leaving a single executive in charge? "
You bet I am not comfortable. We are not exactly electing rocket scientists to public office in Genesee County. We need professional managment and an elected leadership committed to hiring the right people and giving them the support to get the job done.
"You aren't alone, and county Commissioner Archie H. Bailey, D-Flushing, thinks he might have a solution. "
Archie and I tend to think alike. What"s your solution Archie?
"Bailey is talking about the benefits of a kind of county executive with training wheels - a manager who could broadly oversee everything from the county jail to the animal shelter without straying too far from what the Board of Commissioners wants. "
Great idea, but the controller fulfilled part of this function for the last 20 yrs. Why change now?
"A manager would free part-time county commissioners from administrative work and could allow follow-up on ideas that might otherwise fall through the cracks. "
I did not know the commisisoners were too busy. But then its not the role of a legislative body to administer. But then under our current statuatory scheme County Government is unique in that it does have adminstrative duties. So the commissioners want fewer duties? My guess is that they want better government. What can the City of Flint learn from the commissioners? A lot !
"It would also preserve the commissioners authority, making the idea less of a threat to their turf."
Okay I get it we are back to turf..when will it end!
"There already are county managers working with varying degrees of authority in about 75 percent of Michigan counties, according to the Michigan Association of Counties. That includes Lapeer and Shiawassee counties. "
Are their County Governments better? How do we measure better?
"Oakland County is among a few that have gone a step further with an elected county executive with much broader control. Genesee County voters defeated a county executive proposal in a 1981 referendum. "
For good reason, we lacked leadership we trusted to get elected.
"I've realized we do need a lightning rod in the county," said Bailey, who has opposed the county executive idea in the past, saying it would be expensive for taxpayers and create a new political empire for the executive."
Can’t the County be the lightning rod. The Chairpeson of the Genesee County Board of Commissiones in the last 10 years has been one of the most respected officals in the county. Why not increase the political impact of this position?
""A county manager could be responsible for everything coming through one central office," Bailey said. "
Will the County Executive make all the business decisions of the county wide elected officals come through one office? What do the county wide officals think of this?
"The idea is a long way from reality. Bailey last month suggested a committee consider it as it looks for replacements for several retiring department heads. "
Long way is an understatement. But why not a broad based group to review the need for professional management in Genesee County this may have a spillover in other units possibly raising the awarnes of efficient and effective governmental management.
"Still, just broaching the idea may be significant. It is the first mention in years of changing the county structure. "
Just wait the Flint Journal will be all over this followed by the inevitable turf concerns, which may be legitimate.
"In early 2001, a survey showed more than 63 percent of county voters had a positive reaction to electing a county executive and some community leaders pushed the idea behind the scenes. But it quickly died on the vine. "
My recollection is that the Flint Journal pushed the idea losing again. Somebody, or group, else should be the spokesperson.
"Board Chairman Richard E. Hammel said a change might eventually make sense but there's no hurry. "
Under what conditions would it make sense Chairperson Hammel?
"I imagine we'll talk about (changing) ... I don't have problem looking at it (but) I think we've done a pretty good job under this form of government," Hammel said. "
Don’t fix what’s not broke, yet.
"Most counties have an administrator or manager that commissioners delegate authority to, said Karen Currie, director of constituent services for the Michigan Association of Counties. "
"It's common for the administrator to also act as the controller -The chief financial officer of the county. "
"That's the case in Cass County in southwest Michigan. "
"County Administrator Terry L. Proctor said the system can work well and be stable - similar in many ways to a city manager -Even though commissioners have the authority to hire and fire the manager. "
"Proctor has been in the same job for 15 years."
"The success of county administrators is related to the board of commissioners in that county," Proctor said. "If they hire the right person you have a very successful mode of operation."
"Many supporters of the county executive form of government have gone silent in recent years while those who oppose it say the shift could be costly and add to bureaucracy. "
LACK OF LEADERSHIP HAS CAUSED SILENCE!
Whats your opinion?
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http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-29/111615962793510.xml
___________________________________________________________________
Terry R. Bankert, attorney [divorce/criminal], 1000 Beach St., Flint MI USA, 1.810.235.1970, fax; 810.234.5080.
Attorneybankert@yahoo.com
Bankert is a candidate for City Council 7th Ward Flint MI, election August 2005, who posts his positions on issues ,observations of community events and his Flint City Council Campaign Journal at:
http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/
See post #3 for Bankerts Vita and list of community events he has attended since 2/11/05 . http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/post/2005-02-11_17:14:53/
Bankert regularly writes letters to the editor Flint Journal and appears on Comcast public access channel 17 Saturday 6 p.m. " In My Opinion" hosted by Ronald Berry Robinson , Bankert also posts regularly to the TV- 12 http://forums.go.com/abclocal/WJRT/forum?start=0&forumID=73
and TV- 5 http://users.boardnation.com/~wnem/index.php?board=2
Since 1999 Bankert has been editor of a Yahoo Egroup designed to help parents in child protective proceedings http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/child_neglect_abuse/ Bankert is also co-founder , 1999, of a parents support group UNITY for children and parents [ Karen Hamilton is the chairperson 810-733-0213] |
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