Give Otsego County reps four-year terms

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August 2, 2012

Give Otsego County reps four-year terms

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Sat Sep 22, 2012, 03:32 PM EDT

With the possible exception of a school board, it's hard to imagine any group subject to more second-guessing and opprobrium than a county board.

That is certainly the case when it comes to the Otsego County Board of Representatives, with which this newspaper and its readers have had many issues through the years.

We still haven't given up on the hiring of a county manager, which we fervently believe would not only pay for itself but bring a much-needed expertise to a multimillion-dollar operation.

On the other hand, the county has made steady progress in freeing its citizens from the very bad deal inflicted upon them by being part of the Montgomery-Otsego-Schoharie Solid Waste Management Authority.

Now, there is a proposal before the county board to double the terms served by the representatives from two to four years.

It looks like a good idea to us, with a couple of caveats.

A resolution awaiting board action would authorize a referendum on Election Day in November, said Rep. Rich Murphy, D-town of Oneonta, the author of the proposal.

A public hearing would be held on the question before it would be put to voters, he said.

"Two years is too short," Murphy said. He said new members of the county board are in office for barely a year before they are pressed to decide whether they are running for re-election.

"Four years is preferable because it gives the elected official time to learn the position," said Murphy, who had previously been a member of the Oneonta Town Board, whose members have four-year terms.

The idea would seem to have some merit. We need look no further than the U.S. House of Representatives to see an example of office-holders having to worry about the next election as soon as they start serving their terms.

Four years would seem ample time to learn the job and get things done without inordinate concern about offending this interest group or that one.

However, if a four-year term is the way to go, we believe all the county board elections should coincide with the presidential plebiscite. Too often in off-year elections a single issue can have a disproportionate effect on the makeup of the board.

An obvious example was the recent election that hinged greatly on drilling for natural gas in our area. It's an important issue, certainly, but the county has many more things it must address.

Tying the four-year terms to a presidential election year would bring far more voters to the polls and lead to a more well-rounded electorate.

We urge the county board to approve the proposal to bring the four-year-term idea to local voters in November.