Mike,

Your question about the “power” of the Chair has had me thinking all day long.  Here’s my answer.

The “power” of the chair is probably the wrong word.  It implies a level of control that is overstated.  The power of the Chair is better described as influence.

All Boards have a Chair.  The Chair is seen as the “leader” of the Board by virtue of his or her position.  He or she typically runs the meeting, calling it to order, managing the agenda for the meeting, and calling for any votes that may occur.  The Chair has the responsibility to set the tone and pace of the meetings, and a good Chair can run a meeting, and a bad Chair can ruin a meeting.  We’ve all sat in meetings and wondered, “How did this person end up in that chair?”  By the same token, we’ve all seen people who have a natural ability to lead, and exert their “power” by using their ability to influence.

In the Charter Amendment that was approved by a majority of the at-large, countywide electors, no specific legal powers are attributable to the Chair beyond those that currently exist.  The primary differences are a 4-year term, and the fact that the Chair is elected by the citizens, not fellow Board members who are fulfilling some ceremonial task.

What I expect from the elected Chair is that he or she voices the problems that face this County, and how they propose to deal with them.  The “same-old same-old” blame the previous commissioners won’t cut it.  As an elected Chair, the pressure is on to have results, or get un-elected.

Who can we blame for the current transportation situation in Clay County? I know – the previous commissioners.  Which ones?  Heck, they’ve all been Chair of the BCC at one time or another.  Many served more than once.  With all due respect to the previous commissioners, no one seemed to be able to see what was coming our way.  Or, if they did, no one was able to lead us to a different “destination”.  We have arrived at the Port of Too-Many-People-Not-Enough-Roads.

I have to believe that Clay County would have been better served if someone, anyone, had had the responsibility, the mandate, to guide our growing vessel differently.

Maybe I’m expecting too much.  I just really believe that at the place we are now, with so much future growth (and accompanying headaches), and the poor state of our transportation infrastructure, this County of 180,000-ish people deserves to have a leader of the BCC that we get to have a say in who it is.

Bill.