Meeting times, attendance among contentious topics
Another lively debate topic between challenger Barry Lester and incumbent Thom Collier was how much time at the office a sitting county commissioner should put in each day.
The commissioner debates were held in the packed “Round Room” of Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Jetter Hall, with about 160 audience members looking on. The first of four total debates featured challenger Eric Wisyanski, maintenance manager for AMG Industries, versus incumbent Teresa Bemiller, who is seeking her fourth commissioner term.
During a question on a commissioner’s budgetary role, Lester said the role is not to be a budget forecaster going five years out, which is projecting, but to stay with the budget at hand and make it work. Budgets can change over the course of one year, so budgeting too far out is not a good idea, he added.
Collier replied that commissioners create a budget one year at a time, but they engage in forecasts, five years out, to plan ahead. “We can only budget what the auditor certifies,” he said. Lester said during the debate that the incumbent commissioners have an obvious advantage in discussing budgets since they work with them every day. Collier noted that Lester said in his candidate profile he had thought of running for commissioner for years.
“I would think that somebody interested in running for this position, in three-plus years, would come to at least one commissioner meeting,” Collier said. “So far, I have not seen either of the opponents (commissioner challengers) at a single commissioner meeting. I think that would be a good start.”
“Let’s change the bear through the briar patch here,” Lester replied. “Your meetings are at 10 a.m. in the morning. Most of us have a thing called a J-O-B, (which) at that point in time, takes priority. If you want the citizens of this town to attend the meetings, why don’t you change it like city council has.”
Lester added that the commissioners should offer a podcast of their meetings as other local governments have.
He continued, “Ten o’clock in the morning? I would ask for a raise of hands, how many people can break away from their income-producing jobs to be at a meeting? I don’t see a big show of hands.”
Collier re-emphasized that county commissioners are asked to do their jobs during the day, “because we are an administrative position,” which is clear on the first page of the online handbook for commissioners.
Another question was prefaced by stating that commissioners are required to attend many meetings outside their offices at the Knox County Service Center, while also being required to attend county commissioner meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The question from moderators that followed was “How many hours do you plan to spend in the commissioner’s office?”
Lester answered that he has been blessed by a Mount Vernon Country Club board that knows commissioners work in a civil service job.
“This isn’t about income for me, it’s about returning my talents to the community,” Lester offered. He added that given the first-rate staff assembled at the club, the board has given him “carte blanche” to take the time necessary to be a county commissioner once elected.
“So to answer your question, however many hours it takes, I will be there,” Lester offered. “This will be more of a full-time job than a part-time job for me.”
Collier said he has said throughout his two terms as a county commissioner that the amount of office time he will put in “is as much time as necessary.” He said being self-employed, he has a strong support staff.
“I’ve had no conflicts in the past, nor will I in the future,” Collier offered.
Being a county commissioner is much more of an administrative-type job than an elected city council position, Collier said. Commissioners represent an entire county and are expected to attend numerous meetings that take them outside their service center office. The boards he and the other commissioners serve on meet at different times during the day, including some evenings. He added more people talk to him about important issues when he is “out and about” than they would when “sitting in my office.”
Lester said when one has served in an elected government office, it’s easy to gather a list of credentials that he or she has accumulated. What really is at issue, he emphasized, is if an elected official places the time to show devotion to his or her duties and the “heart and soul” into the boards he or she represents.
Collier responded there are more than 30 boards county commissioners must represent, “So you still have to cover your bases.” There are also many boards commissioners don’t belong to but still show an interest in, which he said amounts to community service.
The questions then turned to Knox County’s most pressing needs, with Lester offering that although he has heard the need for more “business (and) housing,” or “housing (and) business,” his top priority would be providing greater Internet broadband service.
“You can go all over Knox County and not have internet,” he said. “If you want to increase business, you have got to have broadband to be conductive.”
Collier replied that Internet broadband is “extremely important” and is already being worked on by commissioners in cooperation with state Rep. Rick Carfagna.
“We’ve helped promote that and encourage that,” Collier said.
When asked a question about handling county budgets, Lester said the county, with more than $60 million to budget, must exercise financial prudence. Collier said the county general fund is more than $17 million, with another $50 million in non-general fund revenue amounting to more than $67 million in budget totals.
“We don’t make all the decisions; we just make the decisions possible,” Collier said regarding the budget. He also said a commissioner’s budget duties involve giving more than 30 departments — including the courts and sheriff’s office — everything they need to do their jobs, but not necessarily giving them everything they want.
The first debate between Wisyanski and Bemiller, meanwhile, was serene compared to Lester vs. Collier. Wisyanski and Bemiller never directly engaged with or critiqued one another directly, though there were plenty of opportunities with rebuttal time for initial questions provided.
One question asked how Knox County can better address the issues of drug addiction and stigma, and what they could do, as a commissioner, to make that happen. Wisyanski said making sure the sheriff’s office has the resources needed to root out drug problem areas would be a priority, as would providing the best programs and resources to get drug offenders back on their feet. Helping adults conquer drug addiction is a win-win for everyone, not just the offender, he offered.
“A lot of people want to get out of drugs but don’t know how,” he said, soon adding, “this has a big effect on business. It’s hard to find people who can pass a drug test for jobs.”
Bemiller emphasized that nearly half of the county’s general fund budget is spent on justice programs — the county court system, including prosecutors and defenders, the sheriff’s office and the county jail. Expansion of programs such as drug courts and more probation department personnel makes a difference toward helping those being treated, and those attempting to treat them. Drug addiction- and mental health-related services offered to men and women in jail can make a difference, Bemiller offered.
“We are not just incarcerating people; we are trying to help them,” she said.
During a question about a commissioner’s role in crafting the county budget, Wisyanski said they must make sure that while going line by line to make sure all pressing needs are paid for, commissioners must also be sure not to inflict “hidden fees” upon the public.
Bemiller said that as the monetary appropriating authority for Knox County expenditures, commissioners must balance requests and expectations with a balancing approach. The county has done an exceptional job of staying within budget, and that, over time, has lifted the county into a high bond rating, she noted.
