Rick Badie's Gwinnett: Wanted: Openness from the next county chairman

On Oct. 8, Chairman Charles Bannister resigned after an appearance before a special grand jury that’s investigating several county land purchases. He had two years remaining in his term. Commissioner Shirley Lasseter, the board’s vice chairwoman, is the fill-in until the seat gets filled.

On Wednesday, the county announced that voters will elect a new chairman on March 15. This election bears a hefty price tag, between $750,000 and $1 million. But what’s another million or so, given the way taxpayer money has been spent and abused?

We have a host of local political and business leaders who are considering running for the chairman’s chair. Anything can happen between now and the Dec. 6-8 qualifying period, though. One wonders why anyone would want to be burdened by a job that pays a little over $61,000. Hopefully, it’s something voters can nail down when the campaigning begins.

If never before, residents should be extremely clear on the type of government they want. Given the actions of some commissioners the past few years, a pledge to open government should be an overriding theme. The county doesn’t appear to have a systemic problem with transparency, just a selective one. And as we’ve seen, that’s just as damaging.

Officials negotiated the Gwinnett Braves stadium deal in complete secrecy. They deemed it good for the community and kept the public in the dark. The stadium was slated to cost $45 million, but swelled to $64 million amid budget cuts, layoffs and tax increases. Detractors cried foul.

Then late in the game, we learned that a 2008 feasibility study had found overwhelming support for the facility. I don’t know one person who partook in any stadium study. Let me know if you did.

Then there was the countywide trash plan. Five haulers who were told they’d be considered for a piece of the service pie had to sue for it. The county eventually reached a deal with the haulers that averted the threat of $80 million-plus in alleged damages.

Nine months ago, a special grand jury began an investigation after this paper reported the county had paid inflated prices on five occasions for parkland. In each case, commissioners who championed the purchases had ties to developers or others involved in the deals.

Commissioner Kevin Kenerly advocated two of the deals; Bannister endorsed one as well. The grand jury considered an indictment charging Bannister with perjury, but returned a “no bill.” The panel is expected to complete a report on its investigation on Friday.

And you say you want to be county chairman. Cool. Take some advice.

If you can’t operate openly at all turns, just don’t run.

Rick Badie, an Opinion columnist, is based in Gwinnett. Reach him at rbadie@ajc.com or 770-263-3875.