In my opinion, there is only one elective office in Asheville or Buncombe County, NC worth holding, that of Sheriff.

As for all the other elective offices, none could describe them better than John Nance (“Cactus Jack”) Garner of Uvalde, Texas. Speaking of the U.S. Vice Presidency he said it was “not worth a bucket of warm spit.” Why would a self-respecting adult want to be Chairman or member of the County Commissioners? Or Asheville Mayor or City Council member? None has enough power or enough accountability. The jobs are part-time and for amateurs. Real executive authority is with persons hired by the Commissioners or Councilmen. The most visible public business of everyone except the sheriff is talk, talk and more talk. No CEO or Admiral or Governor would spend most of his time swiveling in  a chair during long, unstructured sessions listening to complaints coming all too often from single issue bores.

Back in the 1880s one set of American reformers of the “weak is beautiful” school of politics  thought that county and city governments should be made harmless. The principal task of elected officials would be to select a qualified, honest county or city manager and then let the manager preside over career civil servants insulated from party politics. 

Even earlier many of the post Civil War Southern States--notably Texas--had adopted endlessly detailed constitutions with ultra weak elective offices.

There was, however,  a counter trend and it prevailed in cities like Chicago and Detroit and more recently in Detroit’s county--Wayne. The reasoning was: let’s create a very powerful, full-time position of Mayor or County Executive. Elect him, then let him or her select and appoint the chief of police, sheriff, fire chief, school board or variants thereof. Given power, the city or county chief executive would  have no excuse not to deliver the goods. 

Asheville City and Buncombe County might learn from real urban power. Detroit’s mayor, of whom I was an appointee in the early 1980s, is an uncrowned king. He makes 140+ appointments including the chiefs of police and fire department and libraries and museums. It takes six votes of the nine person city council to override his vetoes.

People in such positions as mayor of Detroit or Chicago are well paid. So they have a realistic choice:  either make their job a lifelong commitment or prepare to advance to   governor or U.S. Senator--or both.

Imagine the Mayor of Asheville with such power. Or the Chairman of the County Commissioners. Of course they would have to work full time. They would be paid at least 25% more than the heads of the city and county public school systems. They would not face the voters  for four years.

“Hizzoner” or the County “Exec” could no longer duck for cover behind the elected talking heads.  A different breed of people would then  seek election.
-OOO-

For INDEPENDENT TORCH