Election season is here and the voters in Lewis County are headed to the polls to select the best candidates to represent them going forward into the general elections in November. Both the 1st and 2nd Commissioner District positions are on the ballot. As you look over the voter’s guide and mark your ballots, it might be worth the exercise to examine what a county commissioner is and how we define the most important qualification for this elected position. Let’s begin with the most important skill, leadership.
There are different kinds of leadership to include charismatic, delegative, servant, transactional and transformational. Each singularly has its strengths and weaknesses. When we describe people we think are leaders in different fields to include politics, these terms begin to provide a way to assess our leaders and their style of leadership. Effective leaders understand and utilize most of these techniques to effect the greatest changes for the benefit of their constituent communities.
Lewis County already has a county manager at great cost to the taxpayers, so what role does a county commissioner occupy? The county commissioners as the leaders of this county are tasked with envisioning, providing and implementing a dynamic leadership vision that sets the present direction of the county and more importantly a pathway into the future. This is their role, burden and responsibility. Leadership is the currency that enables the successful accomplishment of this mission.
As I review the current 1st and 2nd District commissioners’ records, I only assess Sean Swope as embracing this dynamic leadership role as defined by his innovative policies, initiatives and actions put forth toward a clearly defined and articulated vision. While I greatly respect the other commissioner, I had hoped they would demonstrate and articulate their own individual contributions in the form of a dynamic leadership vision, supporting policies, initiatives and actions. After all, is this not what they were elected to do?
The candidates for the District 1 seat provide a stark contrast in qualifications, experience and accomplishments from which we can ascertain who the best choice going forward will be. One candidate has proven himself to be a dynamic and innovative leader who has met and exceeded the requirements of the position as clearly evidenced by his past four years in the office. Another, while recently re-elected to a public position, did so after barely surviving an ethics investigation and admonishment from his peers and likes to play dress up soldier after never having served our nation in any capacity as far as I am aware. If so, he can play dress up I suppose. The final candidate lists his greatest achievement as being a Boy Scout who left the Republican Party because he says it left him.
Leadership is a personal relationship. It means serving your community by making the hard choices, creating policies and being mature enough to take personal responsibility for the future of a healthy community. Sean Swope is that candidate and has earned your support.
Mitch Townsend
Silver Creek
