12/06/2006

 Commissioners land on Survivor Island
Commentary by Bob Lassahn

A qualification regarding the following commentary is required. Based upon submission deadline and production it speaks of events in the future, but by the time this is dropped in the driveway they will be past tense. As the paper is delivered everyone will know how far off the mark I might be in my view from the cheap seats.

On December 5 the newly constituted panel of Worcester County Commissioners will take their oath of office and elect their officers for the coming year. Two familiar faces, Sonny Bloxom from District One and Tom Cetola from District Six have been replaced. The burning question is, will this new panel differ significantly from the previous makeup, or will it be business as usual for the next four years?

As for partisan politics the commissioners are still predominantly Republicans (R) by a margin of four to three, where the previous margin was five to two. Newly elected District One Commissioner Robert Cowger, Jr. is a Democrat (D) and replaces former Commissioner Sonny Bloxom (R), to shift the balance only slightly. In reality the party makeup of the panel is likely of little consequence, except perhaps with regard to their dealings with the now Democratic controlled state government. Partisan politics could have influence with regard to those tidbits Annapolis doles out from time to time.

But even across party lines, there is apparently an internal struggle befitting an episode of "Survivor." As the newly elected commissioners merge into the existing "tribe" of incumbents, alliances are likely being considered and strategies developed to obtain some position considered advantageous. The only missing elements are bikini clad females, tribal buffs and foraging for food.

Each of the individual commissioners is probably trying to decide what alliance will be most beneficial as they attempt to move some issue along. The concepts of outplay and outsmart figure nicely into this political arena, but outlast could become problematic unless care is exercised in promoting an agenda. When the larger "tribe" (AKA voters) has spoken a torch might quickly be extinguished four years down the road.

Two Democrats may now be situating themselves for the top seat on the panel. Sources (AKA the rumor mill) indicate that Virgil Shockley (D) is seeking sufficient allies to become the president of the commissioners and vying for the seat now occupied by Jim Purnell (D). Purnell however, apparently has other ideas and would like to remain in control of the gavel for the coming year.

Those sources indicate that Shockley may have Judy Boggs (R) and newcomer Linda Busick (R) considering support for his bid. But another new face, Robert Cowger may be the wild card at the moment and could be leaning toward fellow Democrat Purnell as his choice. Speculation has him joining forces with Bud Church (R) and Louise Gulyas (R) to make that happen.

It is questionable if holding the presidency of the commissioners provides significant advantage, but most certainly an ability to muster a majority and secure the position speaks volumes. Four allied individuals can constitute a controlling majority on the panel. Their alliance could be the defining element on some critical decision, because when this tribe speaks four is the magic number.

The alignment of Purnell, Cowger, Church and Gulyas could potentially become the controlling majority over the next four years. If Cowger finds an alignment with these individuals comfortable the scenario could mean business as usual. It could insinuate he has no particular problem with the decisions that have been made by what was often a majority of Purnell, Bloxom, Church, Gulyas and Cetola. 

However, if the pendulum swings toward the majority of Shockley, Boggs, Busick and Cowger, the direction could potentially shift toward a less welcoming attitude toward developers and growth. Shockley has sometimes intimated himself at odds with his fellow commissioners on the topic and Busick campaigned on a platform criticizing former commissioner Cetola for some of his decisions viewed as leaning too favorably toward growth. Boggs has also found herself at odds with the panel on some growth related issues, with particular concern about the Route 589 corridor. Developers might find their projects under closer scrutiny, especially those in the northern county.

The commissioners will be facing a full agenda of what will be hot button issues during the next four years. With a new comprehensive plan in place they must now complete a comprehensive rezoning and bring the county water and wastewater plans into line with the document.

The commissioners have been presented with a broad range of possibilities to consider with regard to regionalizing water and sewer from their consultant's report. The suggestions to connect various facilities, aging plants in need of attention, even some potential expansion of capacity and service to areas currently not in the water/sewer plan are all there in the mix.

Some significant changes in zoning could also be on the table. The northern reaches of the county, where commercial development is under consideration, has the particular potential to become a hot potato. The voters in the area have made it abundantly clear they are not happy about some previous decisions in this regard.

The county budget is always a concern, but the conservative fiscal management exercised in the past is not likely to change, regardless of who holds the gavel. The incumbents, a majority of five, will likely continue to guide that process and hold the line. In spite of division on other matters, none have demonstrated any inclination to grow government adversely or throw money at pork barrel projects. 

Deliberations on these issues should be interesting to say the least. There has been and undoubtedly will be dissention down the road as the commissioners consider the issues.

Based upon my view from the peanut gallery over the last six years, where I a betting man, I would probably put a few coins on Jim Purnell continuing to hold onto his seat. No major shift in direction and pretty much business as usual. But we will not know for sure until the host counts the votes, the tribe has spoken and someone's torch is extinguished.