Curmudgeon's Corner

Spring Election Races Interesting...

Posted by Al Campbell on Jan. 3, 2008

County Board, Germantown, Political, Village Board

The morning Journal Sentinel carried the listing of races that we'll be deciding during the February 19th and then the April 1st elections this year.

I noted that the 7th District of Washington County has no one running for the Supervisor spot.  Interesting.  Maybe a write-in candidate will appear on the horizon.

I also noted that two Germantown Trustees also appear to be County Supervisors and are running for re-election in both races.

Mel Ewert is listed as the incumbent in District 26 as the County Supervisor while he is also the incumbent for Germantown's District 3 Trustee spot.  Similarly, Peter Sorce is listed as the incumbent in District 28 as the County Supervisor while he is also the incumbent for Germantown's District 2 Trustee position.

This raises the question as to whether or not the citizens of Germantown & Washington County receive all the representation they deserve if two people occupy two different positions at two different levels of government.

It seems, in my simple mind at least, that every once in awhile there must be something that develops in the village that flies in the face of the two peoples' roles at the county level.  It seems that the reverse could certainly be true.  I suspect that, if this were to occur, both gentlemen would abstain from the vote in one or the other jurisdiction.  I'm not suggesting that any skulduggery is involved.

I am wondering if we all get full value from both gentlemen if they periodically find themselves placed in the precarious position of having to vote for one or against the other jurisdiction's best interest while sitting as an elected official of the other governmental unit?  What about the situation where county funding is being debated about a village need?  What happens if the county is about to provide some funding for a project that one or both gentlemen are opposed to at the village level?  What do they do?  If they abstain, could that affect the outcome one way or the other?  I suspect it could in the case of a close vote.  Then there is the whole thing as to what the impact might be if they do not abstain and instead vote their positions twice.

What about the establishment of county tax rates that will impact the village?  Could that work against the village if both abstained from the vote?  It seems possible that it could. 

In my naiveté, I am a bit surprised that our laws permit this kind of situation.  It seems this just invites problems that could otherwise be avoided.