A new start: County commission turns over new leaf

It is never easy to admit that you were wrong privately, let alone to stand up before a group of people and say it.

So there is reason today to acknowledge a commissioner who did just that -- and set a course for a whole new beginning for the county's Republican-led board and the county as a whole.

Commissioner Joe Daughtery apologized for his aggressive attack on County Manager Lee Smith, adding that new information had come to his attention that made him change his mind.

And whether you agree with his tactics in the past, which we don't, or think some of his decisions regarding county spending have been half-baked, which we do, you cannot help but respect someone who has the guts to stand up and admit he made a mistake.

And in so doing, along with a noticeable effort by the county commission to work harder at listening and creating partnerships, the commission has turned a corner.

Now, we can get back to the business of making this county a stronger, more prosperous and development-focused community.

We can attack the problems of school facilities and school funding. We can continue the efforts that have brought industrial and retail investment to the community and we can create the kind of tax base that attracts -- and keeps -- residents.

Wayne County has much potential -- as evidenced by the number of retail businesses that have decided this community is worth investing in.

By creating partnerships, listening to those who have been there and done that, and adding a few good ideas of their own, the county commissioners can be the leaders this community needs to take the next step forward.

Expect them still to demand accountability for the taxpayers' money and to look for ways to use it more efficiently. Expect that they will ask questions about how things are run and possibly contribute ideas of their own. Expect that they will keep a close eye on the direction the county is moving.

That is what we elected them to do.

But also expect a new understanding that there is stuff that is already "right" about Wayne County and that there are people who have its best interests at heart working to make sure that future continues to be bright.

If the commissioners continue in the direction they seem to have taken, there will be a great library in Mount Olive -- and possibly one in the northern end of the county, too. There will be a reasoned and intelligent discussion of the future of facilities for the Wayne County schools and a new partnership with the county's Board of Education to create a district where teachers want to teach and parents want to educate their children.

There will be charitable organizations that give those who are struggling the chance to build new lives -- and a community and leadership willing and ready to support those efforts.

That is the secret to creating a county that is an up and comer. And we have all the ingredients for just such a situation here.

Now all we need is to stop the nonsense and to get to work. And it looks like we are on our way.

Published in Editorials on August 7, 2013 1:11 PM