Politics heating up in Lawrence County
Friday, February 15, 2008 1:14 PM EST article source
Things always get a little interesting in election years. Voters are usually keen to the subtle politicking that candidates will deliver in the years when their names are on the ballot.
But things have been picking up in Lawrence County and, well, they haven’t been all that subtle.
Most recently has been the news surrounding the county treasurer’s office and the county auditor’s office.
Things heated up when a local Republican decided to publicly ask the county GOP Chief — Auditor Ray T. Dutey — to step down.
On the heels of that came a letter to the Lawrence County Commission from Dutey’s chief deputy, Chris Kline, that Stephen Dale Burcham’s treasurer’s office was to blame for delays in the county’s implementation of a direct deposit system for payroll.
Burcham, a Democrat, has said the delays were because of technical problems.
Then on Thursday, Commissioner Tanner Heaberlin, a Democrat, asked Kline why a former board of elections employee (former Director Mary Wipert, a Republican) continued to receive pay through August of last year despite being let go in February.
Kline, who attended Thursday’s commission meeting along with several other officeholders and department heads, said the board of elections delayed notifying the auditor’s office that anyone had been fired until August.
“If the officeholder signs off on it and sends it to us, then it’s official. We can’t just stop paying someone because we read it in the paper they were fired,” Kline said.
Don’t look now Lawrence countians, but the mud is starting to fly.
But as the predictable machinations of the political season unfold, it should not be lost on those seeking these offices that productive discourse on the county’s issues is expected from the public.
All of these issues are certainly worthy of public scrutiny and spirited debate is welcomed.
But office seekers should make sure it’s taking place for the right reasons.