The list was distri buted to board members in time for the Thursday
evening board-of-whole meeting. Farmer asked for responses before
Tuesday's adjourned session, when the board would be asked to
approve the assignments.It is important for any successful
chairman to know his or her fellow board members and their skills.
The primary work of the board is as administrators of the county as
a whole and is carried out month to month, with most of the details
beginning and worked out in committees.
New to the board are M.E. "Gene" Rohlfs, District 4; Arthur
"Andy" Anderson, District 5; and Andrew L. Meister, District 3. Of
these three, only Gene Rohlfs was named to chair a committee,
which was for the airport and farm. Rohlfs had been attending that
committee and other meetings regularly for most of the past year.
Observing the absence of freshman assignments to committees and
committee chair positions, Anderson spoke up, saying it was an
imbalance of power and district representation. He felt that it was
important, having been elected by districts, to have equality
between all board members for each to be able answer to the public.
Addressing Farmer, he said, "I mean you no disrespect, and I
recognize that this is the way it has been for many years."
He called for equality for all board members to serve on
committees and as chairmen.
"It should be a l evel playing field with the same number
of committees for all," Anderson said.
He illustrated with the Lincoln City Council, saying: "The city
has 10 aldermen. There are 10 committees, and every ward is
represented in every committee. Every alderman is chairman of one
committee."
Anderson also pointed out that city aldermen are also equal in
pay -- that assignments distributed evenly equalizes power and pay.
Board members are paid $35 per diem. Any day they attend one or
more committee meetings, they get $35 plus mileage. Some meetings
are scheduled back-to-back; other meetings are at different times
throughout the workday or in the evening.
Various board members responded to Anderson:
Kevin Bateman: I
started out as chairman of no committees.
There are things
that the county board does during the business day.
Working out of
town, he said, "I can't make it to a lot of these things."
___
Patrick O'Neill:
"I'm not a chairman of any committees."
O'Neill has been
appointed liaison to outside entities: Community Action and waste
management.
___
Terry Carlton:
Those assignments are difficult to put down. You just make your best
choices.
There's a
difference between being chair of a committee and a member. Gene
will find himself out at the airport a few times a week.
___
Chuck Ruben: Trust
me, people, it's not a blessing to be chairman your first year. I
was made finance chairman my first year.
You've got to get
to know people their first year. And, you don't know the history (of
county business) the first year out.
___
[to top of second column] |
Bob Farmer: It took me a long time to figure it out.
___
David Hepler: I
wouldn't be surprised, as the year rolls on, I expect there will be
changes.
Farmer succeeds Terry Carlton as board chairman.
Carlton surprised many people when he won chairmanship as a
freshman county board member, an unusual feat. However, Carlton
brought a background of administrative skills, including contract
negotiation; he had a strong vision for the county's future; and he
had attended most committee and full board meetings for a year prior
to his swearing in.
Carlton's chairmanship saw revision of the board's policy and
procedures, which needed updating mostly related to technology
changes; and the formation of the Tax Reduction Task Force, which
took a hard look at the county's revenue sources, expenses and all
the county assets, which led to several measures that provided
savings -- such as a change in hours that qualify an employee for
IMRF -- and finding some added revenues.
Board bylaws do not allow consecutive chairmanships.
Following the reorganization meeting on Dec 6, Carlton reflected
on his chairmanship and said that he was most pleased with the work
that was begun on strategic planning for the county's future. He
also said that he sees more work he would like to do and would hope
to be chairman again, if given the chance.
For Farmer, this is his second chairmanship of the full board. He
follows in the footsteps of two others who also served two
chairmanships in the past decade: Dick Logan and Dale Voyles.
In 2002 the Logan County Board reorganized on a district basis
for the first time. A factor that could have influence in the next
board reorganization, which comes in two years, is that every 10
years it is put to the voters to decided whether to have county
representation by district or at large.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
Past related articles
County board members and committee assignments
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