We Get What We Pay For

originally published December 12, 2007

Money For The Mayor

Commissioner Carl Jordan's proposal to change the Athens-Clarke County mayor's job to full-time, with a salary to match, is a great idea. There are good reasons why we have a part-time mayor with a part-time salary, but the present setup is basically rooted in the past and doesn't match the current realities of the job and the town.

Cost aside, the primary argument for the part-time mayor is that the job shouldn't be so attractive that we've got people running for it just for the money. And indeed that will happen if the salary is raised. Some people will see the mayor's job as a chance to better their fortunes through politics, and we'll just have to trust that Athens voters have the ability to choose the best candidate based on qualifications.

The part-time mayor model is based on the idea that the job is a civic duty, and that some high-minded citizen will step forth to serve. The unspoken assumption is that this citizen will be well off enough that he or she can afford the job on its part-time salary or is already employed in a position that allows him or her a lot of time to do something else.

In the old City of Athens, this arrangement brought us successful businessmen like Julius Bishop, who was tough enough to run what was then Athens Federal Savings and Loan and his stock barn and his real estate interests and still have the time and energy to run Athens. What made the job worth his time was that the mayor had a lot more power back then. He really did run the city, and his power compensated for the low pay.

That strong mayor model continued through Upshaw Bentley, Lauren Coile and Dwayne Chambers, and then came the unification of Athens and Clarke County. Our business and political establishment had been trying for 20 years to unite the city and the county, but the sticking point always hinged on the county's fear of being taken over by the city. They looked at powerful mayors like Bishop, and they voted against consolidation.

Unification succeeded at last because the promoters watered down the powers of the mayor to assuage the fears of the county leaders. Even so, the assumption was that the new government would be headed by another safe, successful businessman, but instead, lo, the new mayor (at first called "Chief Elected Officer") was an uppity woman, City Councilwoman Gwen O'Looney. She ran for office promising that she would work full-time even on the part-time salary, and she did - for eight years. We switched back to the successful businessman model with Doc Eldridge, who continued to run his insurance business while serving as mayor, and then with Heidi Davison, we again have a mayor willing to serve two terms working far more than full-time on a part-time salary.

Meanwhile, beginning with unification and continuing with the growth of the city, the government has grown in size and complexity while we have stuck with the illusion of a part-time mayor with just one administrative assistant. At the least we should recognize the reality that we have a full-time mayor and pay her or him accordingly. We can no longer afford a part-time mayor.

But the full-time salary is going to open another can of cheese straws, and that's the powers of the mayor. If we're going to pay for a full-time mayor, are we going to give the mayor the power to earn the salary with the authority to get things done? This means appointing department heads and holding them responsible. It means the mayor will truly assume the leadership of the government and step into the power vacuum that so often results in the messy efforts of our leaderless Commission.

Is there any chance the Commission will create a stronger mayor at its own expense? I doubt it, but if it doesn't, maybe we should just continue this part-time illusion and hope for the best.

Money For The Arts

If you're looking to give somebody a Christmas present or needing an end-of-the year tax write-off or just feeling generous, you surely know that there are many organizations in Athens-Clarke County doing a lot of good. In that regard, don't forget our arts organizations. They may not directly aid the poor - though many do - but they help lift our community out of a poverty of the spirit.

We grow so accustomed to the presence of groups like ATHICA, Canopy, Town & Gown, Athens Creative Theatre and many others that we just take for granted what a great asset they are to our town.

We would be shocked to find out how little money most of them get by on, yet they continue to struggle to bring us the rich array of cultural offerings that we enjoy. This holiday season, when you're buying presents, remember our arts organizations. Instead of giving your aunt something she doesn't need, make a gift to ATHICA or some other hard-working group that really can use the gift. Your aunt will get far more enjoyment from that gift, and so will we all.

Pete McCommons

editor@flagpole.com