Do you think Montgomery County's switch next year to a county legislature and paid county executive will improve county government?

It should work and does in every county where this is the case.

But Montgomery County will end up just messing it up. As usual they'll find a way to screw things up.

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It is always remotely possible something good will come of it. Perhaps now there will be fewer egos involved and more productivity. Perhaps....

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Discobulous, I would hope so. But something tells me they'll just figure out a way to 'f' it up like they've done each and every time given the chance. I mean, look at the people who drafted the new charter- it's a re-hash of the ones who did it before OR people pushed by the ones already in power.

And I'll bet the farm that one of the people already on the board will simply throw his hat in the ring and make himself executive. That's not really a way to move forward, is it?

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"But we've always done it this way." Sound familiar?

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RS: The new county executive is an elected position, and there is language in the new charter that prohibits a current supervisor from running. There was opposition from some of the current supervisors, particularly those who, in the absence of a county leader, tried to micro-manage the county by bullying the department heads.

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This is something 'new' that has great potential as long the citizens are involved and stop relying on 'somebody else'. This Charter will ensure that we have access to real information, not just opinion. If you want to, you'll know whats going on yourself, not what someone tells you. Rs is right to be skeptical, there are a lot of those who are afraid of change. 'Fear knocked at the door, faith answered. Nobody was there.' -Proverb

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Hilltopper, good to know, not that it effects me really. I couldn't help but think this was nothing but a scam into getting people to think a change was on the horizon, and pretending to do something about it while just adding to the problem.

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It will be corrupt like all the other County Executives...ask all the people in Nassau County

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I think this is a good thing, and Fulton County should follow suit. Just look at all the town versus city squabbles among the supervisors. With a county legislature where districts cross town and city lines, all that goes away.

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Looks like the drive-by naysayers have this one. Could be some schadenfreude from Ful.Co. Hope they're not from Mont. Co.. In a year or so we'll not think or hope, we'll know whether this was a good move or as Rs alluded to, same-old same-old with a smiley face.

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Just another bloated no good do nothing hack with a big salary as people have their homes foreclosed. Just what we need. More useless government workers. Sharpen the pitchforks.

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It seems to me that it just adds another layer of government bureaucracy and at more expense for the taxpayer . The right answer is to downsize government not make it larger ( unless you are an Obama fan) . consolidate, consolidate and consolidate some more. There is not a need any longer for City, Town or Village governments or separate school & fire districts . Fulton County has 55,000 people with 15+ governments and several school and fire districts. It just seems ridiculous to me

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It is, "But we've ALWAYS done it that way". How do you get around it?

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Maybe that's because nobody especially around here wants to admit they don't know how to do it any other way.

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Farfromcenter...'seems to me' you could not be more wrong about the Charter. I don't know about the rest, it's up to Fulton County. At least we're trying instead of crying.

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To be honest with you it will make it worse. As I see it in Montgomery County there are way too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, The New County Executive will want to do things his way and the County Legislature will Battle Him or Her right to the end, therefore nothing will get Accomplished, I guess it will be exactly like Fulton County.

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Consolidate all of the villages, town, and city governments into one county government. This may be the only way for the county as a whole to survive and reel in the constant tax increases. There are way too many layers of government.

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At least the county legilators will not be the town supervisors wearing two hats and getting two paychecks. The 15 current city and town supervisors will be replaced by 9 county legilators. The savings on 6 less will essentially pay the county executive's salary. The key feature is that the county executive is an elected position, not a political appointment who was subject to being jerked around by the supervisors in the past.

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With all due respect dirtracefan, if a person believes they're going to fail at something, they'll find a way to make it happen. If this gets screwed up, it going to be the citizens fault for sitting on their butts and not engaging in the very thing they ask for....control over local government. We asked for this Charter, we got it. Now is not the time to back up into some imaginary comfort zone and throw shots from the cheap seats.

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By the way drf, that was an excellent example of assumptions, platitudes and metaphors wrapped in an opinion. Well done.

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Hilltopper, that's part of the problem. Or so I believe. That position is da-mned from the start:

-the people will elect someone already in an elected position as a supervisor, thereby realizing no actual change whatsoever

-the people will elect 'the loudest mouth', wherein the guy with the most money to spend on political ads gets the most face time even IF he's not actually the most qualified person for the job (as in their recently deceased controller)

-or if the position were appointed instead of elected, they'd just 'appoint' one of their guys they've 'pre-selected'

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Well whatever happens or doesn't it will be instructive to the lords of Fulton County.

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MrBoB51- You are right, we do need to give this new type of Government a chance, I wish you luck, lets see where it stands six months from now, is that ok with you?

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Well, drf, in an earlier post I gave it year. We're probably going to be shakin' out the blankets for six months. Nonetheless, it's ok with me. Hey rs, don't be such a negative nancy or I'll start thinking you're really some old f*art who hates change and is stuck in the past. I do get your point though.

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We don't hate change in the past. We hate change in the future.

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