Keep County Commission nonpartisan
EDITOR:
I am writing to inform you about a crucial issue concerning our Anderson County Commission.
The Republican Executive Committee has voted to change the County Commission race from nonpartisan to partisan.
The Democratic Executive Committee has requested that the race remain nonpartisan. For decades, this race has been nonpartisan, based on a “gentlemen’s agreement” between the two political parties.
This decision affects me personally.
I live in Commission District 3, and a former student, Josh Anderson, is my commissioner. He has done a wonderful job since elected and has been one of the best commissioners we have ever had.
If the Republican Party does not rescind [its] decision, he will be unable to run again. Josh works for the U.S. Postal Service, and because of the Hatch Act, he cannot be a candidate in a partisan race even though he would run as an independent.
In the short term, this would be a real loss for Commission District 3.
More importantly, in the long run, it will be a loss for the county because all the federal employees in our community will be ineligible to run in any partisan race.
We will eliminate from candidacy so many intelligent, educated, competent people who have valuable expertise which would benefit all of us.
Finally, in this era of such partisan bitterness, it will coarsen our politics in Anderson County to make yet another election be partisan.
Honestly, I see no reason for any of our local elections to be partisan. There is no information on road paving or registering deeds in either the Republican or Democratic Party platforms.
So, if you agree with me on this issue, I ask you to contact any Republican friends and especially members of the Republican Party Executive Committee.
Ask them to rescind their vote to change the way we elect our County Commission Keep the race nonpartisan.
The members of the Republican Executive Committee are: Terry Frank, Keith Copeland, William Jones, Amy Jones, Tim Isbel, Amy Poteet, Myra Mansfield and Anthony Allen.
Marsha Livingston
Anderson County retired teacher