Let's put the upcoming ballot issues on the blogging table and give anyone that so desires an opportunity to express their views on the merits or shortcomings of any or all these issues.

Let’s forget the talk about confusion and talk issues. The choices we have to make in November about Charter Amendments are actually quite simple.

Number of Commissioners – This amendment is back in the signature gathering stage.  If it makes the ballot, then we can vote yes to go back to the 5 members it is now, eliminating 2 at-large positions that will be added in November.

That’s a pretty simple choice. Do you want less government or more government, do you want 5 Commissioners or do you want 7? There's nothing confusing about that choice.

County Commissioners' Pay – we’ve got two, possibly three choices.

1. Leave it like it is – 70% (80 for the Chair) of a state formula that includes annual pay raises based on the county's population growth.

2. Cut it to 60% of the state formula, with the same annual pay raises.

3. Cut it to $37K, with no pay raises unless approved by the voters.

How much do you want to pay them and how much control of that pay rate do you as a citizen want to have? If you trust the state to pick the pay for your commissioners on their part-time jobs, then choice 1 or 2 is for you. If you want to be the boss of your public employee, then choice 3 is the way to go. That’s not confusing. It's really pretty simple.

Super-Majority – There is already one choice on the ballot concerning the percentage of votes required to change the Charter.

1. This amendment would require all future amendments to get 60% of the vote to pass, instead of the current simple majority.

This is pretty straight forward. If you want it to be 60%, the same as it is to change the State Constitution, vote yes. If you want it to stay at 50% plus 1, then vote no.

2.  There is a petition in the signature gathering stage that would give you another choice.  It would require 2/3 approval of the voters in order to eliminate any elected position in Clay County government.

Again, this is pretty simple to figure out. Is abolishing an elected position such a special issue that it is the only thing that requires super-majority approval by voters?

Let’s try to keep it on target with the issues. It really doesn't matter who sponsored what.  If you think cutting the salary, with or without a pay raise, is a good (or bad) idea, tell us why.  If you think requiring 2/3 majority to abolish an elected position is a good (or bad) idea, tell us why.  If 5 or 7 is your magic number of commissioners, explain why it's magic.

Mike Heemer