Democracy Takes Another Hit

Cass County Commissioners will be holding a second reading of and voting on an ordinance Sept. 8 to facilitate funding $33 million in construction projects with nary a vote of the people.

Roughly half of that project is for a new three-story courthouse expansion. The other half is law enforcement center construction.

The Commission voted 3-2 to bring it to fruition with an ordinance which bypasses statutory requirements for votes of the people on such courthouse construction projects.

Cass County’s Home Rule Charter allows the Commission to enact such an ordinance if they see fit. As we see it, the only benefit of passing an ordinance is it allows them to move forward without a vote of Cass County citizens. Some argue that the project needs to be commenced immediately to benefit from potentially good bid competition and to affect some federal stimulus monies to help pay a small portion of the overall project.

One Commissioner, Vern Bennett, has been reported in the news to be supposedly open to public opinion regarding bringing the project(s) to a vote of the people. He is considered the swing vote, with Commissioners Robyn Sorum and Ken Pawluk in favor of a public vote. Commissioners Scott Wagner and Darrel Vanyo made the initial 3-2 majority with Bennett at the last meeting.

The 2009 Legislative Assembly came inches away from passing sweeping legislation that would have required projects like these—as well as park, city and school buildings—to be brought to a vote of the people. The legislation went through the House, passed committee, and fell short by only a few votes in the Senate.

The public is not happy with the construction mania unfolding at virtually every level of government, most without votes of the citizenry. Many folks sense that their elected officials are out of touch with their constituents. It seems that government spending has run amuck from the highest levels down. And the people know who will end up paying.

Yes, Cass County Commissioners CAN enact an ordinance to build these buildings without a requisite vote of the people, but why?

Are they afraid of the people turning the project down? Are they not interested in the people’s wishes? Are they truly of the mindset that people have elected officials to think and act for them?

Just because you can, does that mean you do?

Our position is that Cass County Commissioners ought to bring this project to a public vote as soon as possible. They ought to educate the citizens about the needs, costs and funding for the buildings. They ought to ask the people for their vote of support.

The Governor and Legislature gave property owners a very significant mill levy reduction by shifting more state funding to k-12 education. This is not the time to immediately start jacking property taxes up, just because the citizens will not feel the impact as much, due to the relief spelled out in Bismarck just this year.

The citizens want a say when it comes to these huge public construction projects, whether it be at the county, city, school or park district level. They are sick and fed up with it, best we can tell, and quite frankly they are not likely to take it any more.

Cass officials should follow the spirit and letter of STATE law and bring their courthouse expansion project to a public vote. That much we do know.

Rodney S. Webb

No matter where he landed, Rodney S. Webb was a pillar of his community. His death this week gives us pause to reflect. Our heartfelt condolences to his wife Betty and their children.

This writer’s entire journalism career was seasoned with the proximity of Rodney Webb in nearby community settings. He was from Cavalier in Pembina County. His family ran a prominent business there. In Grafton, he served as municipal judge and states attorney. When he was special assistant to the attorney general representing what was then the Grafton State School, we had significant opportunity to work together.

Wherever he was, he would be surrounded by movers and shakers, decision-makers, leaders. Rodney Webb was a leader’s leader.

President Reagan appointed Rodney to the post of U.S. prosecuting attorney and then to a federal judgeship. He presided over the Gordon Kahl case among countless others of high prominence. He was compassionate for the human condition and for the farmer, businessman, the individual. He had an uncanny ability, when he was handling a political hot potato, to do it with the utmost candor and grace. Even if you ever disagreed with him, you would would have been hard pressed to not respect him.

Up in Grafton, he was a Kiwanian and never missed a meeting. He continued that tradition in Fargo and was active on many civic fronts.

Seeing and visiting with Rodney on downtown street corners whether in Cavalier, Grafton or Fargo, is something countless people will miss now that he has passed. He’d always have time, always have a story, and always have pearls of wisdom to share.

He’s one of the few who saw virtually every step of this writer’s journalistic career unfold. And, of course, we couched our conversations with proper reflection back to our parents, our home towns, our shared pasts.

He always commented on the current issue of the High Plains Reader and said he’d never miss reading The Gadfly Ed Raymond, much like the days of old when no one in Grafton would overlook reading The Publisher’s Weekend Report by Jack Morgan. Then on a parting note, Rodney would always make reference to the most recent editorial in HPR, noting that he was reading that faithfully as well.

That’s how he was. He made people feel important. He showed interest in them. He was genuine and he meant it.

It is with the highest regard and respect that we reach out to Rodney’s family and offer up our most heartfelt condolences and wishes. Pillars of the community are few and far between. Rodney Webb was a pillar, no matter where he was.

Godspeed, and thanks.

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)