Voters who watch with disappointment the ethical failings of those for whom they voted eventually begin to question their own judgment. With each election, a few more citizens adopt the political philosophy that running for office is evidence enough that a person shouldn't be elected. That is the kind of distrust that leads to the demise of democracy. Even with all the above healthily in place, however, Bay County commissioners would be subject to a certain amount of distrust stemming from socio-economic conditions not necessarily within their power to control. Arguably, both seemingly contradictory economic situations apply to Bay County.
Bay County seems to have no unusual racial strife.
Crime here, as everywhere, has dropped. But law enforcement constantly builds force upon force, and the County Commission invents new crimes toward which to target that force, increasingly into areas of entertainment and privacy that would have low priority in a county where resources are better balanced. The Bay County Commission spends twice as much on public safety as it does on roads. County commissioners may never see a time when their judgement and their good intentions are not questioned. But it is imperative that the time come, fairly soon, when they have more help from grand jurors and voters and community organizations in coming to judgement and better balancing their intentions.