The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-01-22
The Proposed New Law Relating to
County Commissioners.

The Legislature, doubtless, will make some
important changes in the law relating to
County Commissioners. The law, it is to be
hoped, will be general one, uniform in its
application, 80 far as the number, powers
and duties, at least, of Commissioners are
concerned. Opinions differ as to the mean
ing OF the fourth amendment to the Consti-
tuition relating to this matter. Some ex.
Founders Of the law maintain that the Legis-
lature may, under the amendment, prescribe
the number and periods for which the Com
missioners were elected last November, allot-
ting to some term two years and to others
four or six years.
On the other hand, men equally learned in
the law hold that the Commissioners now
serving were elected by the people for two
years, and the Legislature can neither lengthen
nor shorten their terms nor lessen their num-
Der. Their powers and duties and their
compensation, however, may be, as hereto
fore, prescribed by the Legislature.
It is not likely, we think, that the Legisla-
ture will interfere with the status of the
present boards, but whatever its wisdom
may devise will take effect at the next general
election In 1893.
In Hartford county there is a strong ex'
preston of opinion in favor of three Commits
sioners instead of five. 1t is argued, and with
no small degree of reason, that under the
present arrangement each Commissioner has
come to be regarded by the public as repre-
senting only the particular district from
which he was elected-responsible only to
the people of that district for the manner in
which he discharges his duty, and bound to
get all he can for his district. As conse-
quence, the people of one district resent any
interference In their district affairs by the
Commissioner OF any other district, and in
the Commissioners board system has I'M.
ayoidably grown up Of leaving to every Com
missioner almost absolute control Of the
affairs of the district frsm which he comes.
This Ii altogether foreign to the idea of
deliberative body, in which each member
should have equal voice and influence with
every other member in matters pertaining to
the constituency which elected him.
It Ii believed that with board of three
County Commissioners instead Of five the
county could be more uniformly governed.
One district would not be favored in the
matter of public roads, the erection Of bridges,
&C., over another. It is also claimed that If
the term of County Commissioners were ex-
tended to six years, with only one Commis-
sioner chosen every two years, and fair
salary paid for their services, the county
could seRre, If the people chose to do 30, the
services of men of first-claes ability. Under
the present arrangement, it is true, the
county can sometimes get good men to serve
as Commissioners, but with five to be elected
there is always danger that some of them
may not measure up to the standard Of ability
and efficiency required.
There would be an obvious advantage in
always having in the board tive members
with experience, familiar with what has been
done and able to carry on affairs efficiently.
All things considered, we believe three Com
missioners, If they were men of sound judg-
ment and willing to give their best services
to the public, could manage our county affairs
with less friction, with better system and
greater economy to the county than larger
number.
In order to induce the best men to serve,
however, fair salaries should be paid and
their terms of office extended. To take
away, also, the temptation which might beset
them of using the patronage and influence Of
their positions to promote their reelection,
1t might be better to limit each Commissioner
to one term, making him ineligible for re-
election the term succeeding the one for
which he has just served.