Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012
OUR VIEW: Positive sign with minor commission housekeeping
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It would have been easy to miss the brief housekeeping announcement at the outset of last week’s Cass County Commission meeting – Luke Scavuzzo’s first as South District Associate Commissioner.
North District and Temporary Presiding Commissioner Brian Baker announced that from here forward, he and Scavuzzo would alternate as Temporary Presiding Commissioner. This will continue until the Missouri Supreme Court rules on Herschel Young’s status as presiding commissioner and either Young or a replacement is seated.
This task is not just a formality – some parliamentarian duty that must be performed in order to facilitate proper meeting decorum.
In Cass County, the job of temporary presiding commissioner carries responsibility that makes it clear this is only supposed to occur in emergencies. The temporary presiding commissioner carries two votes – automatic decision-making power for the county.
In our system of government, that is far too much responsibility to place on one individual. The weight of that responsibility rested squarely on Baker’s shoulders for the entirety of 2011.
It was suggested on more than one occasion last year that Baker and now-resigned South District Associate Commissioner Bill Cook alternate duties during 2011. For a variety of reasons, Cook chose not to participate in such a plan.
As a result, Baker, already under fire along with Cook for the budget deficit that plagued the county at the beginning of 2011, faced the New Year knowing that when tough decisions arose, he was alone.
Fortunately for Baker, he wasn’t placed in a position of having to cast both the second and third votes often. However, he, as well as everyone else, knew that problematic dilemma could face him at any time.
Certainly Baker has faced his share of criticism – probably far more than his share – over the past year. He has been the first to admit when mistakes have been made, and he has done so willingly.
Now, as he enters his lame duck year as county commissioner, at least he knows that in addition to a fresh and energetic face with similar governmental experience sharing his duties, Scavuzzo is also prepared to share the responsibility of possessing a second of three votes on alternating weeks.
Even this scenario is far from the system that was designed to govern Cass County. But it beats the alternative and is a measure of progress.
