In less than a month, Gene Hart will leave behind his office as Banks County Commission Chairman.
He will have served just one term in office, but I believe the impact he leaves behind will be a positive and successful one.
There will be those who disagree of course. Such is the nature of politics. Being a county chairman is a sure fire way of making enemies. On almost any decision you make, you are going to make someone upset or mad.
Hart took office almost four years ago and immediately had an impact of streamlining the commission’s office. In his relative short time as chairman, the business of the office he oversees runs more efficiently and smoothly. Hart has been a chairman who can been found in the office for regular hours and beyond. It’s not always that way, even with so-called “full-time” commission chairmen.
Yet, it was basically one issue which led to Hart’s defeat. A dispute involving volunteer firemen in Banks County led to Hart’s ouster as chairman and to the election of a new one. On one hand, there is something positive to be said for citizens who don’t like the way their county is being run and who then take action about it. On the other hand, ousting a county chairman on the primary basis of one issue can be dangerous.
What if the new chairman doesn’t give in to every whim of the group which “helped” get him elected? What if the new chairman doesn’t reverse the decision made by the former chairman on his initial day in office? Will the group which basically threw out the old chairman then turn on the new chairman as well.
Being elected on one issue is also dangerous in that the business of operating a county is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once that sole, hot topic issue is resolved in one way or another, the business of the county must go on and must be conducted, even when those who cried the loudest are gone.
Hart stuck to his guns concerning the volunteer firemen issue in Banks County. He did so because he believed what he was doing was right. Hart is not a career politician and that made his decision to do what he thought was right easier. He was not worried about getting re-elected and in fact even had given consideration to not running before this controversial issue came up.
Still, Banks County has benefited from Gene Hart’s leadership during the past four years. He is an honest man who has deep roots here. I believe he would have served the county well if re-elected.
Let’s hope the new leadership can continue to move Banks County in the same positive direction it has been going. Many issues Hart has been pushing for are still on the table. Many other issues need addressing and perhaps the new chairman will take those up.
One positive for the county will be the expansion of the current three-member commission to a five-member one. The current setup is long out of date and voters did the right thing by expanding the number of county commissioners by a vote in November.
As for Hart, I believe he deserves the citizens’ thanks for what he has done for the county since January 2005. It remains to be seen if voting him out of office over one issue was the right thing to do. History says, however, it is usually unwise to take that approach.
Chris Bridges is an editor with Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail comments about this column to chris@mainstreetnews.com.
Perhaps you should talk to others in the County and get more views. Milton is a good and honest man. Just what we needed. You seem to think the only concern he has is the fire department. Time should prove you wrong, AGAIN!
I've known this family mostly all my life. You have all my support and many blessing from God above. With all the repect one can give you have earned it from me. Thank you for all you've done!!!!!