By M. Scott Carter
The Moore American
July 17, 2008 03:13 pm
—
For George Skinner, July 29 is that date.
On that day, Skinner, the county’s incumbent District 2 commissioner, will know if he will, in fact, remain a commissioner.
Skinner, 72, has held the seat since 1990.
But this summer, he faces two Republicans in a three-way primary election, in a race which includes about three-quarters of Moore, eastern Noble and most of rural Norman. Skinner was first elected to office as a Democrat, but later changed his party registration to Republican.
And this year he’s running on his record.
“I don’t have a fancy campaign,” Skinner said. “I don’t make campaign promises. I’m running on my record as a commissioner. I can promise the people of Cleveland County four more years of good, clean, honest and accountable county government.”
But while Skinner said he’s pleased by his accomplishments, two other Republicans — one from Noble and one from Newalla — believe it’s time for Skinner to retire.
Earl Cox, a 47-year-old Republican from Noble, and Charles Wright, 44, from Newalla, both say it’s time for a change.
And both want Skinner’s job.
Wright, who ran against Skinner in 2000 and 2004, said he’s running for the office again because “the same old problems keep persisting.”
“Nothing is getting fixed, repaired or maintained,” he said. “But, in the last couple of years, the county has done a better job with mowing.”
Wright said his biggest problem with Skinner’s administration was its lack of leadership in tackling problems.
“Right now, we’re facing all sorts of problems,” he said. “And I think the county needs to take the lead. I think if they can really get together and cooperate much better, it would help them fiscally. But we need to be working with city officials in Moore and Norman. We need to set the agenda and work with the communities.”
But Wright isn’t the only candidate calling for change.
Cox said county residents need fresh ideas and “a new voice” at the courthouse.
“I believe we just need some changes,” he said. “We need somebody in there that’s going to make the decision and do more work.”
Cox, making his first bid for public office, said the county should focus more on improving roads and bridges and develop an alternative funding plan for the county’s new jail.
“There are too many potholes in the eastern part of the county, where I’m at,” he said. “Those roads need to be fixed.”
Additionally, he said, county officials should try to save taxpayers’ money by using a different revenue source to fund construction of the new jail, which is set to be built along Franklin Road in north Cleveland County.
“They’re wantin’ to do a tax to fund the jail,” he said. “But I would fund the jail with grant money and try to save the taxpayers some money.”
Skinner disagreed.
He said roads are his “biggest accomplishment” as commissioner.
“When I first came in office, you could hear the phrase, ‘Pray for me, I drive on these rural Norman roads,’” he said. “You don’t hear that any more. I’ve worked to update and reseal these roads and the county has spent a lot of money, time and hard work improving them. I have an excellent road crew.”
Additionally, Skinner said, county officials recently completed the remodeling of the county courthouse — a $9 million project.
“We didn’t raise taxes to do that,” he said. “We used existing funds, from money we’d been saving.”
Skinner also touts his service on various boards and commissions as examples of his efforts to bring different government entities together.
“I’m proud of the boards I serve on,” he said. “I’m chairman of the County Health Board and I serve on many others including the County Workforce Development board. These are all boards and groups that help the citizens of county, which I’m proud to do.”
Still, perhaps the biggest issue in the campaign is the county’s new jail.
After years of overcrowding in the downtown detention facility and two separate threats by state Health Department officials to sanction the county if the jail wasn’t improved, county officials purchased land along Franklin Road in 2007 as a site for a new jail. Since then, county officials, along with consultant Donald Jones and local architect Ben Graves, have worked to develop plans for a new jail.
Those plans, Skinner said, should be finalized sometime this fall, “and then we can get down to determining how we’re going to fund the thing,” he said.
“It’s been a big issue, the jail. Finding a new location, getting the lands purchased. We should have plans ready in the middle or the last of November, then we can develop the plans for funding it.”
Cox said he believed the building could be built with grant funds, while Wright said county officials should consult with administrators in Norman and Moore to “see what solutions can be worked out.”
“It’s just gotten the cities and the county at odds,” Wright said. “And the jail was a big part of that. The City of Moore didn’t want it (the jail) within their boundaries. I know the reasons, they want to try and keep Moore an upscale community, but no one wanted it near them. I think we should have worked closer with the towns and gotten everyone together.”
And while Wright said he “didn’t have a problem with where the jail is located,” he added that increasing fuel costs are quickly becoming an issue and he believes the county “must get in perfect sync” with Norman and Moore to address increasing costs and pool resources.
“Personally, I think they need to look at the Sheriff’s Department more,” he said. “We need to get them more officers and more equipment.”
Cox said commissioners should consult the general public.
“I would go around and talk to people who pay the taxes in Cleveland County,” he said. “And see what they think and what their needs are.”
Skinner countered, saying that future county administrations are going to have to “work smarter.”
“The funds to operate county government come from ad valorem taxes,” he said. “But the funds for road building and the maintenance of bridges and roads come from gas taxes. As fuel prices rise, people will use less gas, which results in less tax. So we’ll have to work a lot smarter.”
To do that, Wright believes county and city government must share the burden.
“County government is going to be spread thin,” he said. “With all the costs that are going up, I think that right now, we need to get together and see if we can lessen the burden on everyone. They all need to talk and say, ‘What can we do for you and what can you do for us?’ ’Cause problems are gonna happen and happen very soon, and if we don’t keep up, we can’t make sure everyone is being served.”
Still, though neither challenger said he has any “personal complaints” against Skinner, both say they believe it’s time for someone else to serve in the post.
“I’ve known George a long time,” Wright said. “I know his family and I like George as a person. I just think we need a change. I don’t have anything against him or his family; but other seats on the commission have changed and it’s time for this one to do so.”
But while change has become the new buzzword this political season, ousting a long-term, popular incumbent may prove difficult.
Especially George Skinner.
“I’m working hard,” he said. “I guess we’ll see how everything turns out on July 29th.”
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