Franklin County needs a commissioner who can help end the bickering, dysfunction | Opinion

Franklin County has gone through all sorts of government upheaval lately. It raises questions about whether county leaders can govern without drama. The county desperately needs true leadership.

The problems begin at the top. Despite all three county commissioners being Republicans, meetings have featured bickering and bitter arguments among them. Commissioner Brad Peck became so fed up with it that he announced he will resign at the end of the year.

County residents should not take Peck’s resignation lightly. If there’s been a moderating voice on the commission, it’s been his. He has served on the commission for 15 years. His pragmatism, attention to detail and decorum have been invaluable, even if his colleagues too often ignored him. He was on the losing side of a lot of 2-1 votes.

Peck pulled no punches in his resignation announcement. “The county has devolved into an arena of hyper-politization, cronyism, workplace bullying and personal acrimony. There are an unfortunate number of examples. Elected officials and numerous employees walking out of Franklin County, and armed bullhorn-toting protestors trespassing at my personal residence, are just two of many,” he wrote.

Peck isn’t the only one frustrated with county government. Earlier this year, all three members of the county’s civil service commission resigned over friction with other officials. Two of them ultimately returned to the board, but the incident revealed just how confrontational things have become.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Jim Raymond and Auditor Matt Beaton are in a feud over reimbursements. The sheriff has threatened to sue the county for half a million dollars. He also is going after an anonymous blogger whose posts and yard signs he doesn’t like.

Turmoil has had an impact behind the scenes, too. The county has seen an exodus of leadership over the past two years including three HR directors, the entire HAPO center management team and a county administrator among others.

One such scandalous incident or case of infighting might be dismissed. All of this and more together indicate a level of systemic dysfunction that should dismay residents and could scare off investment in the community. It’s hard to trust that the government can provide even the most basic services and manage taxpayer resources wisely when petty conflict and unprofessionalism is the norm.

If county leaders hope to put turmoil behind them, they can start with choosing the right person to fill Peck’s vacant seat. The two remaining commissioners, Clint Didier and Rocky Mullen, will pick from three nominees provided by county Republicans.

No doubt they will be tempted to appoint a diehard conservative who will align with their views and their approach. That would be a mistake. There is tremendous value in having a tempering voice on the commission who can help Didier and Mullen become the leaders the county desperately needs.

Franklin County’s reputation needs refurbishing, and it must start with someone who has the county’s best interests at heart over ego and political dogma. The new commissioner should be someone who can mediate conflicts and keep the county out of the courthouse.

Obviously the appointee won’t be a Democrat, but surely Franklin County has levelheaded Republicans with leadership experience willing to serve.

That appointee also should be willing to continue in the job and shouldn’t be someone already embroiled in the current infighting.

He or she would immediately have to enter campaign mode for the November 2024 election, when the seat will be on the ballot, and moderation won’t fix a broken county government in just one year.