Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Kevin Dayhoff - The Tentacle: Historic Changes in Carroll County

December 8, 2010

Historic Changes in Carroll County

Kevin E. Dayhoff http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=4097

On Monday, Carroll County’s first five-member Board of Commissioners took the oath of office: Robin Frazier, Haven Shoemaker, Dave Rous, Richard Rothschild, and Doug Howard.

All are Republicans. Only Ms. Frazier has served in the commissioners’ office before, for one term, 1998 to 2002.

After a long and stormy commissioner election campaign, it took only 15 minutes for history to be made as the 59th Board of Carroll County Commissioners was sworn into office.

It will be interesting to see how well this county government functions with five instead of three commissioners. Are five heads better than three?

Taxes, waste-to-energy, the airport, police protection, and the economy are some of the many leftovers the new commissioners will find on their plates.

For dessert, the commissioners have available the preservation of the business of agriculture and increasing employment in Carroll County so that the 62% of the work force doesn’t need to leave the county every work day in the pursuit of meaningful employment.

Barrels of ink and antacid have been spilled on the discussions over the five-district, five-commissioner form of government along with hand wringing, gnashing of teeth, food-fights of kindergarten proportions and close encounters of the third grade.

The idea was first publicly floated as far back as... http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=4097