The Currency of Government

I have made no secret of my approval of the progress of the City of Somerset under the Girdler administration but just because I am excited to see the city make strides into the future does not mean that everything that is done is done properly. Here in Somerset-Pulaski County progress has had to come kicking and screaming in small doses. I was talking the other day with some friends who have long since abandoned living here and we agree that there are things going on that we never thought we would see in our lifetimes. Legal liquor sales, nascent entertainment venues, a budding arts environment and other activities that have made our area a destination. But, as I said, these have not come without some humps and bumps along the way that may not have been the best way to do things.

Somerset, being hog-tied from lack of annexation opportunities, has not grown a lot in population but it is still the driving force for development in Pulaski County. Without the presence of a plentiful energy source and sewage facilities the industries located outside of the city limits could not have happened. Pulaski County has an opportunity to play some catch up with a new administration that seems to be open to change. But both have had some run-ins with some citizens who feel that proper practices were overlooked in order to achieve the purposes. They may be right.

Of course, the big news right now is the Kentucky Auditor's report that was just completed covering the city of Somerset. I have not finished reading the entire thing but I am pretty far into it and as far as I can see there are no indications of illegality. There are allegations of impropriety and some steps should be taken to correct the opportunities for those things to reoccur. Mr. Edelen, the Auditor, has interviewed about 30 people and has made some recommendations that the city could take to create a more transparent and less hostile operating environment. With some negotiation these items can be addressed to the satisfaction of reasonable people. With so many instances of illegality in government these days it is good to note that it doesn't appear that anyone in government should go to jail.

Somerset has experienced rapid growth with its venture into sales of natural gas and that has provided necessary revenue for growth that has not come at the taxpayer expense. It is only through the use of this revenue that Somerset has been able to continue its attractiveness and growth without increased revenue from annexation. The downside of this rapid growth is that management practices have not kept pace. What worked when Somerset was a less progressive city is now not up to the task of running a vibrant city with a business enterprise like the natural gas service.

It seems clear that the city should undertake a massive reorganization of its governmental structure that would spread responsibility to other officials, especially elected ones, and which would also establish clear lines of authority in the chain of command. There should be an ethics watchdog that would help prevent problems before they become too large. Perhaps that office could also have a function to assure compliance with ordinances and regulations. Procurement and human resources policies should be established with the purpose of eliminating the perception of favoritism or reprisal.

The city is not alone here. While the auditor only examined the practices of the City of Somerset he could just as well have examined Pulaski County for the same things. The auditor has legislative authority to audit counties but there exists no clear authority for the examination of cities and that has been a bone of contention between the Mayor and the Auditor. Without clear legal authority it is hard to see how the city can be forced to pay for the audit. However, this is a bone best left unchewed for the legislature to take care of.

The government of Pulaski County can also be accused of a lack of transparency and failure to follow best practices as well. The ludicrous nature of the annexation of Pulaski County Park by Burnside, a city miles away, is a point in fact. By annexing only the property owned by the Corps of Engineers, Burnside and the proponents of the annexation fostered the illusion that the annexation met the contiguous property provision of state law. That is patent nonsense and everyone knows it. For that matter it was nonsense to allow the annexation of Lake Cumberland shoreline up to Lee's Ford and it would never have been done without political influence all of which was done out of sight and by people who are not elected representatives of the people of Pulaski County.

I have been supportive in this space of legalizing alcohol sales as a means to create opportunity for progress but I have also been critical of this method of annexation. At the end of the day the will of the people must be done.

My Take is that if we are to have progress then let leaders lead and let the people speak. Any attempt to bypass the people will only breed distrust and trust is the currency of government.