Years ago, filling local boards and commissions with concerned citizens was no problem, Columbus Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong said.
Plenty of applicants sought ways to serve, he said, whether as a springboard to higher political aspirations or as simply a means for community involvement.
Today, though, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find those people. As a result, commission vacancies can stay unfilled for months without so much as one citizen applying to serve.
“Back 20 or 30 years ago, people would come knocking on your door asking to be a part,” Armstrong said. “It’s just not that way anymore. People aren’t as interested in local government as they used to be.”
Columbus is looking to fill two commission vacancies — Jim Borsig’s spot on the Historic Preservation Commission and Leon Speck’s post on the Municipal Election Commission.
Borsig, president at Mississippi University for Women, resigned from Historic Preservation earlier this year after he announced he would be leaving MUW at the end of the school year and relocating to Maine. His unexpired term runs through June 2019.
Speck, who was slated to serve on the Municipal Election Commission until July 2021, resigned in February for health reasons.
Both boards are at-large appointments, meaning the city council does not appoint members by ward residency. The only requirement is being a registered voter who lives in the city limits.
No one had applied for either vacancy as of Tuesday afternoon.
Armstrong said the city has some time before it absolutely needs to replace Speck, as the next municipal general election isn’t set until June 2021. He added Borsig’s Historic Preservation post, however, needs to be filled sooner than later. Despite Armstrong’s best efforts to recruit people for either post, he’s not finding any takers.
“I’ve approached several people,” he said. “Their first question is ‘What does (the commission) do?’ Their next is ‘What does it pay?'”
Duties
Historic Preservation is set up as a nine-member board that meets once per month. Its members are strictly volunteers.
They review and oversee exterior changes to structures in the city’s designated downtown historic district — which runs east-to-west from the depot to Harvey’s restaurant on Main Street and north-to-south roughly two blocks on either side of Main. Commissioners consider and rule on everything from signage outside those structures to exterior renovations and demolition.
“The downtown commercial district is something we all use, and we all have an interest in it looking nice,” said Joseph Boggess, a longtime member of the Historic Preservation Commission.
The Municipal Election Commission is a five-member body that oversees ballot count and validation, as well as certifying results in city general or special elections. They do not oversee party primaries.
Its members are paid $84 per month when they meet. While Armstrong said they can meet up to once per month, they usually only meet around election time.
Neither commissioner is in imminent danger of not being able to conduct business. By ordinance, only a quorum of the set number of members is required for an official meeting (meaning five for Historic Preservation and three for Municipal Elections).
Still, Armstrong said, he’d like to see enough public interest to where there are no long-term vacancies.
“These are very important positions,” Armstrong said. “These are supposed to be non-political bodies that help conduct the city’s business, and we need people willing to serve.”
How to apply
Applications can be picked up at City Hall.
For details on responsibilities for commissions, which each have four-year terms, contact David Armstrong.
Historic Preservation Commission
■ Reviews, oversees exterior changes to structures in downtown historic district
■ 4-year terms
■ Trying to fill unexpired term of Jim Borsig that runs through June 2, 2019
Members:
Barbara Bigelow
Joseph Boggess
Bryan Brown
Ann Davis
Carolyn Burns Kaye
Bart Lawrence Jr.
Chance Laws
Mark Ward
Municipal Election Commission
■ Oversees municipal general and special elections
■ 4-year terms
■ Trying to fill unexpired term of Leon Speck that runs through July 18, 2021
Members:
Willie Harris
Penesha McDowell-Harrison
Roy Milton Hicks
Diane Sloan
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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