The INDEPENDENT, May 2, 2012
Page 5
Candidates for County Commission Position 3 give their views
From page 1
sources. There will be things
we have to cut because we
can’t afford them. For instance,
the sheriff’s office depends, for
2/3 ($2 million) of the jail budg-
et, on jail bed rental and that’s
not a stable funding base.
Hyde – We need to look at
common services provided by
other entities, for example the
last 5-6 years of emergency
management, and collectively
come together to allow more
strategic use of money avail-
able. We’ve been able to in-
crease our capacity with no ex-
tra money. So, we’ll have to fig-
ure out how to provide core
services with less money. A lot
is mandated so we have to go
back to the State if they cut
money from mandated servic-
es. I think the only time you
have substantive change is
when you have catastrophic
change and I think we’re there.
Maygra – I think in order to
keep services in place we need
to start pay cuts at the top. As
commissioner I would expect to
take a pay cut before non-
salaried. The natural resource
depletion fee has not been fully
enforced and has not been up-
dated since 1996. That would
go straight to the Road Depart-
ment.
Ward – It doesn’t take a lot of
money to run my business. At
the county level, we need to
use money for the necessary
services, not things like a new
entrance. The city should not
be able to set more restrictive
rules than the county or state
can.
2. Should county commis-
sioners continue to assist
department heads or should
they hire middle managers?
Gibson –
I’m not
sure we
can even
afford
full-time
county
commis-
sioners.
W
e
Jim Gibson
should
review that through the Home
Rule Charter. We need to look
at all the alternatives from the
top down and if I cut myself out
of a paycheck, so be it. We
been putting band-aids on for
too long.
Hyde – We don’t have the lux-
ury of middle managers with
the current budgetary con-
straints.
Maygra – I don’t think we need
middle managers on salary,
too.
Ward – I think commissioners
should direct department head
without middle managers. It’s
more efficient and allows for
more accountability for money
spent.
3. What do you consider to
be the commissioners’ du-
ties and responsibilities?
Gibson – Overall policy setting
county wide to address how the
county is going to function.
There are statutory and admin-
istrative rules that have to be
followed, like on land use deci-
sion appeals. Commissioners
set ordinances and then need
to enforce them, such as the
need to enforce the collection
of depletion fees.
Hyde –
There
are quite
a
few.
First and
f o r e -
most, to
see to it
that we
can de-
Tony Hyde
liver both
the mandated services and the
rest. I have a list of 47 services
the county is responsible to
provide, from aging/senior
services to the Extension Ser-
vice. We have to advocate for
all the needs of everybody in
the county.
Maygra – To be the administra-
tive body for the entire county.
Also, I think commissioners
need to be more directly asso-
ciated with citizens. They
should help anybody who
comes in to see them, rather
than passing on the issue.
They should go out of their way
to help people and mitigate any
problems.
Ward – The commissioners re-
sponsibility is to operate what
goes on in the county; roads,
schools, and small business.
They should be more hands-on
and they need to know in-depth
what they are voting on.
4. Do you think the incum-
bents are meeting those re-
sponsibilities?
Gibson – I think they’ve been
trying really hard, but the open-
ness side somewhat concerns
me. There always appears to
be deals being done before we
find out about them. I think they
work very hard trying to build a
good county.
Hyde – I most certainly do. We
have a really good team right
now with a good relationship.
Our knowledge bases give us
good background. We don’t al-
ways agree but we work well
together.
Maygra
– No, I
don’t. On
the hos-
p i t a l
problem,
in 2010
the peo-
ple voted
by 73%
Tammy Maygra
to stop
the 38¢ per 1,000 permanent
tax and credit the money back
to taxpayers. The health district
took it to court and had it
deemed illegal. The commis-
sioners did not take legal action
to defend the measure or sup-
port the 73% majority. They did
not listen, people want their
money back. If they don’t listen
to a 73% majority, why would
they listen to you?
Ward –
No,
I
d o n ’ t
t h i n k
they are.
Because
w h e n
some-
one asks
t h e m
Reginald Ward
a b o u t
something, they voted on they
can't answer. If you don’t know
the answer, you get back to
them. Basically, earn your
money.
5. What improvements or
changes would you like to
see in county government?
Gibson – I would like, if elect-
ed, to create a more open at-
mosphere and be much more
open and responsive to people
and their concerns. We have
the technological ability to be
more open, like posting county
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