Lawrence County taxpayers should have the final word

The independent commission created by Lawrence County voters to study county government is on the verge of extinction. Before it disappears, taxpayers who have the most to lose must have a say.

After all, the goal of the Lawrence County Government Study Commission, voted into existence in November 2007, was to determine if there is a better way of conducting the people’s business — as the public treasury dwindles.

Those interested in serving on the panel sought election. The 11 who were elected — there were six write-ins — made a commitment, by virtue of their candidacies, to perform their duties in an objective, dedicated manner.

But as the story in Sunday’s Vindicator again revealed, the commission’s work was undermined by infighting. Some members wanted to discontinue the study, while others were committed to the creation of a council-manager form of government to replace the three county commissioners.

However, Chairman David Kennaday told The Vindicator last week the commission is “dead in the water.”

It may well be, but it is important to remember that when the voters said they wanted a recommendation regarding government reorganization, they were expecting a definitive recommendation.

That means answering the following question: Should the current form of county government remain, or is a council-manager system a viable alternative?

We do not believe that simply disbanding the commission without a formal recommendation is keeping faith with the voters.

Responsibility to act

The 10 members — one resigned to become a member of New Castle City Council — have an obligation to meet and take an official vote.

Not doing so would give rise to the belief that some individuals sought election with the intention of blocking any serious attempt to study county government.

What is going in Lawrence County should serve as a warning to other counties or communities where taxpayers are pushing for change: The special interests are so deeply entrenched in the status quo that any attempt to make government smaller and, therefore, more cost effective will be met with strong opposition.

It is a sad commentary that even when the people who support government with their taxes suggest they want change, those who can affect such change simply refuse to do what’s right.

Two months ago, when Chairman Kennaday warned that the commission was on the verge of imploding because he could not get a quorum for the meetings, we urged the county commissioners to become directly involved and to let it be known that simply disbanding was not an option.

We also urged the Lawrence County League of Women Voters, which provided the impetus for the study on county government, to have a say.

The fight to preserve the status quo is a fight about job protection. Government employees, who earn salaries often times higher than those in the private sector, have one goal: To feed at the public trough long enough to qualify for the lucrative public pension and the health benefits that retirement brings.

We know that the public pension system will not undergo change. Therefore, the only way to reduce the cost of government is through consolidation and a reduction in the number of jobs.

Private sector taxpayers can no longer remain silent.