Commissioners Must Continue Cohesiveness of Previous Board

On Monday, Jan. 6, Blair County swore in two new commissioners and one incumbent.

Republican Amy Webster and Democrat Laura Burke joined second-term Commissioner Bruce Erb at the table to begin four years of leading county government.

Once again the board is made up of two Republicans and one Democrat, but in county government, party affiliation should not matter.

November’s election clearly showed that voters wanted a change at the county level. While Commissioner Terry Tomassetti chose not to run for another term, Commissioner Ted Beam, facing obvious backlash from reassessment, lost his seat to Burke.

But what was lost in voter anger is that for four years Blair County was served by a board of commissioners who worked together in a professional and respectful manner.

Of course they didn’t agree on everything, but they never publicly attacked each other over their disagreements.

When Tomassetti came out in favor of a home-rule form of government to replace the current three-member board of commissioners, Erb and Beam were quick to oppose it.

But opposition did not breed contempt. Erb and Beam’s public statements about their opposition to Tomassetti’s proposal included no personal attacks or belittling of his idea. They simply stated their reasons and moved on, preserving peace at the table.

Two Republicans and one Democrat worked together as three commissioners, rarely, if ever, drawing partisan lines.

The results speak for themselves.

The four years of Erb, Tomassetti and Beam put the county on solid financial ground after years of sliding toward bankruptcy.

This was not done with egos. They did not sit at the table comparing vote totals for leverage. They were simply three elected officials who didn’t always agree, but who always found a way to work together.

Now we have a new board, and while its first meeting sparked some controversy, it doesn’t have to set the tone for the next four years.

Amy Webster was the top vote-getter in the election, and traditionally that would give her the chairmanship of the board.

However, Erb and Burke broke with tradition and reappointed Erb as chairman and Burke as vice chairman.

While Webster not being named chairman upset a faction of Webster’s supporters, the bigger picture is what is best for the county, not for an individual commissioner.

While the chairmanship is an important post, it does not make the chairman a more powerful member of the board.

Erb has served as chairman for four years, also heading up the county’s retirement board and salary board.

This is a case where switching horses in mid-stream would be detrimental to the county, at least in the short term.

This is not to take anything away from Webster. She was the top vote-getter for a reason. She clearly struck a nerve with voters who then overwhelmingly gave her the opportunity to make good on her promises.

However, votes cannot replace experience, and in this case, with two new commissioners learning on the job, Erb’s experience is needed more than ever.

Burke, in recognizing the need to lean on the experienced commissioner, backed Erb as chairman, and in a show of non-partisan support, Erb backed Burke in her appointment to the vice chairmanship.

While clearly disappointed at being passed over for the chairmanship, Webster, to her credit, put a positive face on the matter.

“The more important things commissioners do is address issues,” Webster said. “That’s what I’ll concentrate on.”

Concentrating on the issues, instead of vote totals, titles or party, is the only way to effectively serve Blair County. It can be done. The precedent has already been set by the previous board.