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By Kristen Johnson
Staff Writer

- Davidson County’s Libertarian Party thinks the time has come to reopen debate about electing members of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners by districts.

At their March 12 convention at Zoomer’s in Welcome, Libertarians passed a resolution calling for the election of six commissioners by districts and one at-large.

In order to draw districts, the resolution recommends the creation of a district committee, composed of two members from each of the county’s recognized political parties.

That committee would set guidelines for drawing districts, including setting “acceptable population deviations” and avoiding the splitting of precincts.

Additionally, the resolution called for work to begin immediately so new districts could be ready for next year’s elections.

Currently, commissioners are elected at-large.

“Well, they’re free to pursue a referendum on it,” newly elected county Republican Party chairman David Rickard said. “They are welcome to get up petitions. It’s the American way.”

Rickard said he’d checked the state party’s platform, and said it held that “voters should choose their officials — officials shouldn’t choose their voters.”

“People have to work to get elected,” he said. “If you make districts, it’ll be easy to carve a niche and settle in.”

Rickard said the county’s party would oppose the creation of districts.

“We’re not afraid of a referendum, but we’d be opposed to this,” he said. “Republicans have a majority, and it took 20 years to get there.”

Rickard noted the county’s Democrats didn’t pursue district creation when they “held all five seats on the board.”

County Democratic Party chairman Randall Lanier said he’d “always favored” the district election system, but said he’d pursue a five-district, two-at-large system.

“District elections are a better system,” Lanier said. “As a representative, you know the needs of your immediate area the best because you’re from that area."

Lanier added districts would create a smaller, more manageable area for candidates to campaign in, reducing costs.

“Davidson County is huge geographically,” he said. “It costs a lot of money to put signs up and advertise in this county.”

Lanier added having two at-large representatives would avoid disqualifying good candidates when more than one comes from the same district.

As discussed during an executive committee meeting in February, Democrats will discuss district elections during their April 19 convention at Woodsmen of the World on Crutchfield Avenue in Lexington.

To change the mode of election, commissioners can call for a local referendum — as was done in the early 1990’s to increase the board’s size and stagger the terms of office — or a member of the General Assembly can propose special legislation.

But board of commissioners chairman Fred C. Sink has said no commissioner has indicated interest in raising the issue, and NC Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Lexington) has said special legislation would probably be opposed by NC Sen. Stan Bingham (R-Denton) or Reps. Jerry Dockham (R-Denton) and Julia Howard (R-Mocksville).

“I’ve seen the proposal, and it seems like the Libertarians have done their homework on this,” Lanier said. “But I don’t think this is an issue that needs to be endorsed one way or the other.

“It’s an issue that needs thought.”

Staff writer Kristen Johnson can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 232, or at johnson@tvilletimes.com

Published Tuesday, April 8, 2003
This is an on-line publication of
The Thomasville Times
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