Monday, December 17, 2007
Lee County legislators have growth on the mind
Growth was on the minds of the three Lee County legislators speaking to the Lee County Citizens’ Council on County Government Monday.
July 24, 2007
Growth was on the minds of the three Lee County legislators speaking to the Lee County Citizens’ Council on County Government Monday.
Three of the county’s nine-member legislative delegation spoke to the council about county government: Rep. Lesley Vance, District 80, Phenix City; Rep. George Bandy, District 83, Opelika; and Sen. Ted Little, District 27, Auburn.
Vance said there was one thing Lee County seriously needs to consider.
“Lee County is not a back road county any more,” he said. “You (Lee County) are in a position today to have one of the greatest counties in the state of Alabama. Look at what the growth is like here in Auburn and Opelika.”
The state representative said Lee County faces unimaginable growth between now and 2012.
“Talking about the growth Ft. Benning and BRAC will bring on, I am not talking about millions of dollars, according to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, I’m talking about billions of dollars that is going to be spent by 2012 here.
Vance said Shelby said, “You are going to have to grow. You are going to have to do something about your school system.”
He said the same thing is happening here in county government
“As we grow in all forms and all ways, the county commissioners are going to have a tremendous burden put upon them. The probate judge is going to have a tremendous burden put upon him.”
When asked what the delegation would look for in the council’s recommendations to the commission, Bandy said he would look at what the council had studied and recommended and vote from that.
“You will make a recommendation for what is best for the county,” Bandy said. “And, I am sure that is what you will do with the information that you have. With that information, that, I think, should satisfy everybody who wants to do what is best for the county.”
Bandy said the council needs to think in terms of the 26 percent black citizens in the Lee County community and a decision on a county-wide vote would “pretty much lock us (blacks) out.”
“A rotating chair would ensure that somebody black would chair the commission, but to require that person to be (elected) ‘at large’ is going to an automatic shutout forever more according to the numbers in the county,” Bandy said.
Council chairman Hugh Dicks reminded the legislators that the council hasn’t come to any conclusions and continues to gather information by hearing from officials like themselves.
“We are not solid on anything,” Dicks said. “This council has not made any decisions.”
After hearing from the legislators, Gerald Johnson briefed the council on percentage differences in responses from the recent survey of registered voters of county citizens presented in a public forum earlier this month.
Registered voters, who elect the county’s government, and live in Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station and the county’s unincorporated areas participated in the telephone survey in June.
“Citizens in unincorporated areas do, of course, relate differently to the commission than those in incorporated areas,” Johnson said.
“In terms of the survey, there were no differences in the responses.”
The citizens’ council meets on the Mondays that the Lee County Commission does not meet.
Its next meeting will be Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lee County Courthouse in downtown Opelika.
Three of the county’s nine-member legislative delegation spoke to the council about county government: Rep. Lesley Vance, District 80, Phenix City; Rep. George Bandy, District 83, Opelika; and Sen. Ted Little, District 27, Auburn.
Vance said there was one thing Lee County seriously needs to consider.
“Lee County is not a back road county any more,” he said. “You (Lee County) are in a position today to have one of the greatest counties in the state of Alabama. Look at what the growth is like here in Auburn and Opelika.”
The state representative said Lee County faces unimaginable growth between now and 2012.
“Talking about the growth Ft. Benning and BRAC will bring on, I am not talking about millions of dollars, according to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, I’m talking about billions of dollars that is going to be spent by 2012 here.
Vance said Shelby said, “You are going to have to grow. You are going to have to do something about your school system.”
He said the same thing is happening here in county government
“As we grow in all forms and all ways, the county commissioners are going to have a tremendous burden put upon them. The probate judge is going to have a tremendous burden put upon him.”
When asked what the delegation would look for in the council’s recommendations to the commission, Bandy said he would look at what the council had studied and recommended and vote from that.
“You will make a recommendation for what is best for the county,” Bandy said. “And, I am sure that is what you will do with the information that you have. With that information, that, I think, should satisfy everybody who wants to do what is best for the county.”
Bandy said the council needs to think in terms of the 26 percent black citizens in the Lee County community and a decision on a county-wide vote would “pretty much lock us (blacks) out.”
“A rotating chair would ensure that somebody black would chair the commission, but to require that person to be (elected) ‘at large’ is going to an automatic shutout forever more according to the numbers in the county,” Bandy said.
Council chairman Hugh Dicks reminded the legislators that the council hasn’t come to any conclusions and continues to gather information by hearing from officials like themselves.
“We are not solid on anything,” Dicks said. “This council has not made any decisions.”
After hearing from the legislators, Gerald Johnson briefed the council on percentage differences in responses from the recent survey of registered voters of county citizens presented in a public forum earlier this month.
Registered voters, who elect the county’s government, and live in Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station and the county’s unincorporated areas participated in the telephone survey in June.
“Citizens in unincorporated areas do, of course, relate differently to the commission than those in incorporated areas,” Johnson said.
“In terms of the survey, there were no differences in the responses.”
The citizens’ council meets on the Mondays that the Lee County Commission does not meet.
Its next meeting will be Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lee County Courthouse in downtown Opelika.
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