Roger Hannigan Gilson has an article about the current situation here in Columbia County: "Partisan divide widens over proposed Columbia County executive as petition tossed."
The situation has also gotten the attention of WAMC News. A report by Jesse King, Hudson Valley Bureau Chief, can be heard on the WAMC website: "Columbia County group files lawsuit following rejection of county executive position."
I’m still undecided on this one. The current system does Hudson no favors, dilutes our power between 5 weak supervisors, and lets the other towns use Hudson as its dumping ground for everything they don’t want in their towns—11 Warren being the latest example.
ReplyDeleteHowever I agree with the “experts” in the article that mentioned the more common system of a professional nonpartisan manager hired by the supervisors or county legislature. In its marketing that downplayed the partisanship of its sponsors, all of Columbia County Forward’s objectives: full-time, grant getting, efficiency, could be accomplished by a professional. Just like the truly nonpartisan proposal for Hudson’s Charter Reform. It’s also funny the same paper found “experts” that thought that proposal was odd too.
I think national parties at the local government level stink. All of them. I don’t want a republican wasting county or city government time debating things like “men in woman’s sports” just like I don’t want democrats making powerless resolutions on the war in Gaza. This national culture war and division should not trickle down in local government when it’s more about paving the roads and paying the bills
What I can say from my own personal perspective is that neither side of this argument is scoring a lot of brownie points with me given what is unfolding currently.
DeleteThe proposal meanwhile is purely a political move and I don't believe that a move that is so obviously politically charged can lead to more efficient governance.
Lastly, I am not entirely convinced that the county Dem's calculus will work out. They may own the float countywide in terms of registered voters but what I learned at last week's Greenport townboard meeting is that at least my municipality is concerned with losing agency and influence at the county level. That concern was shared by both GOP- and Democrat-leaning people present at that meeting.
I do not expect that registered Democrats across the county will automatically vote for this. I know I won't. I am fully aware of the ubiquitous Murrell shenanigans but what I can equally do without is a Kamal Johnson becoming county president.
🎯 "Just like the truly nonpartisan proposal for Hudson’s Charter Reform. It’s also funny the same paper found “experts” that thought that proposal was odd too."
Delete🫶 "This national culture war and division should not trickle down in local government when it’s more about paving the roads and paying the bills"
Is it too much to ask that Americans take out all their big partisan energy in national elections and fundraising, get really emotional and engaged about Congressional races... national PP or NRA issues if you have to, and make County and City government the most boring, apolitical (read bi-partisan) thing in the County.
Columbia County is already a purple county, lots of NOPs, we don't have the private wealth of counties to our south or the public wealth of counties to our immediate north.
Can we just decrease politics and protests and focus on efficient public service delivery and public safety.
Every dollar spent by government should be treated like oxygen in a submarine: essential, finite, and not to be wasted on political theater.
I'm in the same boat, don't know if a new form of county government would be a good thing. But if a "professional nonpartisan manager'" would be hired by our supervisors, we are likely to get the same old, same old... PJ
ReplyDelete