County shift

The structure of our county government hasn’t changed since 1868. It doesn’t hurt to see if there’s a better way of doing things.

There’s no need to rush into anything, but it isn’t a bad idea for Douglas County officials to initiate discussion of how government could be made more efficient or professional.

At the request of county commissioners, County Administrator Craig Weinaug has begun to investigate some of the possibilities and prepared a memo on how the county’s governmental structure might be improved. The main focus of discussion is the possibility of electing all county officials in nonpartisan elections and the possibility of eliminating some countywide elective offices and replacing those officials with people who are appointed by and responsible to the county commission.

There is little reason for county officials to represent one or the other political party once they are elected to office. They have a job to do, and political alliances or agendas are rare at the county level. What might be lost, however, if political parties were taken out of the equation is whatever responsibility local party organizations now feel to field and support strong candidates for election.

Lawrence city commissioners are elected in nonpartisan elections, but, as the recent primary election made clear, political organizations aren’t the only coalitions that can and do field candidates or push agendas. If local political party organizations are doing their job, do they provide a useful service by identifying qualified candidates and encouraging them to run? The issue of whether county officials are tied to political parties may be more important before an election than it is after.

Switching election offices to appointed positions would be another controversial item. The elective positions that are revamped could include the county treasurer, clerk, register of deeds, sheriff and district attorney. The sheriff’s and district attorney’s jobs seem like poor candidates for this shift because they include considerable independent policy-making functions. However, the treasurer, clerk and register of deeds basically carry out set county duties.

Those favoring this approach claim it would ensure that the people in those jobs are professional and focused on providing the best possible service for county residents. However, there are many who question or oppose the idea of a county administrator being in a position to make or control these selections.

However, even if this plan is found to have merit, county commissioners must move ahead carefully. Commissioner Charles Jones already has expressed concern about Weinaug and Commissioner Bob Johnson visiting Topeka to discuss the matter. Jones has a point that going to legislators with the plan now may be getting the cart before the horse. The most important people to get on board such a change are the residents of Douglas County. Discussions with state legislators can come later.

It’s also important that any changes in the county government structure not be viewed as a “power grab” by county commissioners or a county administrator. Nor should it be pursued as a way to deal with the current power struggle between the commission and County Treasurer Pat Wells. Whatever decisions are made should be made independently of the individuals involved.

The structure of Douglas County government hasn’t changed since 1868. It may be time to see if there’s a better way of doing business. Any changes, however, must be carefully considered and structured to stand the test of time.