Government overhaul?

Committee OKs referendum to give voters option on Nov. ballot to nix supervisor position

MONCKS CORNER — Berkeley County voters will have to answer two ballot questions in November if County Council, as expected, gives them an opportunity to eliminate the supervisor position.

Ben Ziegler, an outside attorney hired by council to guide it through the process, said Monday that the first question is whether voters want to change from the supervisor form of government to council-professional administrator.

The second question will essentially ask voters how many council members they want if voters do choose a new government. Ziegler said the second question is necessary because eliminating the supervisor role would leave the council with eight on council, an even number that would be unable to break ties.

He said voters likely would have to decide between creating a ninth single-member district or one at-large district. He said it's possible to have fewer councilmen but that deciding which seat to eliminate would be problematic.

The county has had the supervisor form of government since Home Rule was established in 1976.

If voters choose a change, the earliest the new government could begin is 2010, when the supervisor position is up for election again. Ziegler said the U.S. Justice Department would have to pre-approve any changes in the form of government, including the redrawing of district lines, which already is scheduled to be done in 2010.

The council's finance committee voted 4-3 to adopt first reading of an ordinance putting the referendum on the November ballot, despite a handful of residents who said they didn't want the option.

Five residents told council they like having the ability to vote out the supervisor if they don't like the job he's doing. It would take a majority of council to get rid of an administrator residents didn't like.

"To go back to the other way, you're going backwards," resident John Hartness said. "Right now we have someone we can reach out and touch if we don't like the way things are going."

They were echoed by a minority of county councilmen who said the residents they spoke with were overwhelmingly against the referendum. One of those councilmen was Jack Schurlknight, who along with Supervisor Dan Davis told voters during their 2006 campaigns that they would give them a chance to vote on changing the government if elected.

Schurlknight said Monday night that voters he's spoken with don't want to see the council waste time and money on the issue. Davis also has said that interest has dwindled.

But the majority said the council should uphold the promise made to voters, even if they don't agree with it.

Councilman Tim Callanan, who just won a Republican primary for his seat, said a lot of voters he spoke with on the campaign trail asked for the choice. "I don't see the need for a change, but as someone who has just been in front of his electorate, there have been a lot of requests for it," he said.

Callanan, Cathy Davis, Bill Crosby and Phillip Farley voted in favor of the ordinance. Schurlknight, Caldwell Pinckney and Steve Davis voted against it.

Reach Andy Paras at aparas@postandcourier.com or 745-5891.