The political controversy brewing between Barrow County’s legislative delegation and the board of commissioners is an interesting clash. Both groups want to set up a citizens’ committee to study — then make recommendations — about changing the county’s government structure.
But the details of that process are in conflict.
The legislative delegation — Rep. Terry England, Rep. Tommy Benton and Sen. Frank Ginn — want to control the process. The BOC, especially commissioner Steve Worley, wants the BOC to be in control.
Really, both sides have pretty good arguments. On the one side, England, Benton and Ginn were elected to represent Barrow County in legislative issues and changing the form of county government is a legislative matter. If those three don’t agree to a plan, nothing changes.
But Worley and the BOC were also elected to represent Barrow citizens and their duties would be directly affected by whatever might be changed. And while one might argue that the BOC has by its recent actions forfeited leadership on the matter, the board does have a legitimate claim to being part of the process.
In most of these kinds of issues, legislative delegations want action by a local government and while they may be involved some behind-the-scenes, they seldom take such a high profile.
So it’s unusual for a legislative delegation to wade in this deep on a controversial issue and to do so openly.
Whatever happens, the ultimate outcome is likely to be some plan to move Barrow County to a county manager form of government.
But if citizens think that will solve all the county’s leadership problems, it won’t. Just hiring someone won’t automatically fix anything.
Look at neighboring Jackson County. Two weeks ago, Jackson fired its fourth county manager since moving to a manager government a decade ago.
What’s the problem with manager governments?
Consider:
• BOC members say they want a county manager who is a leader, but they really don’t. What every BOC member really wants is someone who will do his bidding. The result is boards often hire the weakest applicant rather than the most qualified.
• Managers are all pretty much cut from the same cloth. They go through the same “professional” training in college and at their bevy of seminars and professional development programs. That training can pretty much be summed up by three words: “Spend more money.” Managers are taught that bigger is always better and that their job is to grow government and hence, their own importance. I have yet to see a county manager who didn’t want government to be bigger.
• The job of a county manager has two skill sets which are often mutually exclusive: To manage people and to manage finance. Finding one individual who has both qualities is rare; and when you do find them, they’re at a larger county making much more money.
• If you do find someone who can manage both people (employees) and money, they often lack a critical third skill-set — political savvy. No matter how much we want to pretend that we have de-politicized county management with a hired manager, the job is inherently always going to be political. Managers often get caught up in board politics. They play the arithmetic game and learn to count to three quickly, meaning they need the support of three board members to keep their job. Other times, they lack the savvy to play nice with the public because they perceive the board as a shield between themselves and citizens.
• Finally, county managers have jobs that exist amid a hothouse environment. Most wither rather than thrive. There is inevitably internal bickering, which always involves the county manager in some way or another. Even good managers find that challenging.
Barrow County has had a run of issues in recent years from its county government. Some of that came from leaders who created a lot of debt and dramatically hiked pay scales, which led to a fiscal crisis when the house market crashed. That was followed by the Yearwood administration that has splintered the county and polarized public opinion over a variety of issues.
Understandably, citizens are fed up with local government controversy and want a more professional atmosphere.
But county managers are no panacea for a weakness in leadership. It looks good on paper, but in the real world, county managers are subject to the same kind of human shortcomings as any elected official.
It may be the best answer for Barrow County’s future, but it won’t bring a miracle.
Mike Buffington is co-publisher of the Barrow Journal. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
