The Dodge County Board Tuesday night voted down a proposal that would have given voters a say in the county’s governmental structure. Jeff Schmitt was pushing for the resolution that would have added a non-binding referendum to the fall ballot asking voters to select their preferred form of county government.
For the past decade, Dodge County has had an “administrator,” appointed by supervisors, running operations. Conversely, a county “executive” would, among other things, be elected by voters every couple years. Prior to 2008, Dodge County operated under an “administrative coordinator” form of government, which is essentially a manager with far less authority than either an executive or an administrator.
Supervisor Eugene Wurtz says the potential of going to an executive form of government (quote) “scares” him and could have unforeseen consequences. He specifically points to an executives vetoing power over county board decisions. Supervisor David Guckenburger says he does not see the harm in asking constituents their opinion considering the referendum would be advisory only and would not call for a change.
Other board members raised concerns over the work required to inform the public on the forms of government. Schmitt, who says the electorate should have been given the option of choosing their form of county government in 2008, disagrees. He says it is condescending of the board to assume they are not reasonable enough to understand the benefits or negatives of each form of government. When the resolution went to a vote it only garnered support from three supervisors.
