Perhaps We Can Change DeKalb Government, Or At Least Make it More Entertaining

At meeting after meeting we get the story that the legislature is going to change the government of DeKalb County.  I heard last year that the CEO form of government wasn't working, and it should be changed.  I heard this year that the CEO form of government wasn't working, and it should be changed. Now I hear the Interim CEO saying the same thing (maybe).

The biggest topic of conversation in the “fix the county” discussions is always the same thing.  Legislators continue to talk about “changing the form of government”.  It’s become an excuse to not address other issues.  Let’s do this, and worry about other stuff some other year. At least we will be able to say we addressed the issue.

But let’s look at that. We elect a CEO for the country. We elect CEO’s in 50 states.  We elect CEO’s in almost every city in the US. Many counties in the country have elected CEO’s.  Why is that a bad form of government for DeKalb County? Is that the problem?

Does someone think that criminal behavior, or inefficient operation, or non-responsive government will change if we go to a (fill in blank) form of government? I don’t think so! Would a County Manager have stopped the Commission from approving illegal night clubs? Would the manager stop favoritism in contracts? Could a manager stop a Commissioner from “suggesting” that a bribe would help someone’s chances?  Who do you think would hire the manager? Who would the manager report to? Does the County Manager even have a vote?

And let’s get serious about the City issue. If someone comes up with a great idea to solve the government organization problem, and makes it operationally wonderful, does that solve any of the local issues?  Not really.

The problem with zoning is not inefficiency; it’s that Commissioners in one area of the county can decide what another area should look like. The Commission structure wouldn't change that.

The problem with parks isn't that the Commission isn't functional; it’s that the Commission doesn't think parks are terribly important. The structure isn't going to change that.

Fine, you say, maybe someone can change the members of the Board of Commissioners. Your vote is one out of 130,000, or one out of 350,000.  Good luck with that.  Your vote on a City Council would be one of 10-12,000. A few neighborhoods will elect a council member. And each of the Council members will be elected by a few neighborhoods in their area – not by a majority in another area of the county.

Yes, maybe we can fix the train wreck. And maybe something useful will come out of the “Change the Government” discussion.  But maybe all that does is change the nature of the wreck. On the other hand, maybe a set of strong cities in the County will be able to have an impact on the County government that individual citizens just don’t have. Maybe that’s the better solution to the “fix the county” issue. And maybe if some of these decisions are made locally there will be less opportunity one group to exercise control over another area.