It's going to be hard to appoint the high vote getter when so many candidates have said the would not accept the appointment.

I know at least Amy Broyles has said she won't accept an appointment. Chuch Williams in the 2nd district has officially thrown his name in the ring.

That would make sense if we were allowed to mix up our ballots, but picking up a party ballot denied voters a choice in a lot of races.

I said from the beginning that waiting 'til after the primary was not only shirking the obligation to make the appointments, but also makes things more confusing.

Sisk gets 32%. Should Bratton get appointed? Do either of these candidates want the appointment? Would Commission put Bratton in as Sisk's boss between now and election day?

How about Vandergriff v. Arnett? Arnett doesn't want it, I don't think (am I right there?). So, does Commission put Vandergriff in as Stooksbury's boss? Ironic, isn't it? How about my cuz Billy? Can he be a caretaker? Would Commission make the same appointment as before?

It's just as confusing when you have winners for Commission who appear to be strong choices, but they don't want the appointment. Will caretakers be effective given they have a short time and will not have to answer to voters (or much of anyone for that matter)? My guess is nothing much gets accomplished on Commission.

The saga continues.

And, Billy isn't really my cuzin, at least as far as I know.

None of the candidates wants to be part of an ethically dubious appointment process, but if commission can find a clean method for filling the seats, candidates ought to reconsider their stand. A consistent, uniform method would preclude all the lobbying, endorsements, rejections and potential ugliness.

Selecting the highest vote getter not on the August ballot would accomplish the same thing: a quick, clean process. With a uniform rule dictating who gets appointed, refusing that appointment becomes a stand that creates controversy instead of avoiding it.

In any case, the basic point is the same one I've been arguing since before Black Wednesday: fair ground rules! It's too late for a pure solution since this process has been so mismanaged, but given where we are, a simple and uniform method has a certain amount of appeal as a way to defuse tension.

Did I miss something? They have a process.

They take applications, hold hearings, then vote.

Had they done this initially, we'd be talking about Ragsdale's incompentence rather than County Commission's.

Where, exactly, would you get one of these applications? Can't seem to find any info on this process from the county website...

I see NO justification for selecting people that voters just rejected.

I'm tempted to say (at the risk of sounding like the one who won't be mentioned) that only liberals think second place is worth something. -- s.

I just don't see a reason to change what state law requires for appointments just because we have a bunch of them.

Take applications, let folks speak, debate openly among elected commissioners, vote for interim appointees, move on. -- s.

I see NO justification for selecting people that voters just rejected.

I'm tempted to say (at the risk of sounding like the one who won't be mentioned) that only liberals think second place is worth something.

Bully editor girl! That proves you're a liberal. Uh, wait...

District 1A - Sam McKenzie
District 5C - Richard Briggs
District 8B - Dave Wright (No D's or I's even on the ballot)

If anyone thinks either Albert Baah (1A) or Don Sproles (5C) is going to put foward a genuine campaign effort, I'd take McKenzie and Briggs off the "easy" list.

I've heard that D. Wright isn't going to seek the appointment even though he has no one at all running against him in August. I don't get that stance, and I've never heard any explanation of his reasoning. He's already been elected to the post. He should step up and fill it.

Districts 2B, 4A&B, 6A, 9A, and all the fee offices should have caretakers appointed. As far as what criteria ought to be applied by the commissioners to fill those seats, the most I can say is I wish it was some sort of consistent process, but I know it's going to be a beauty contest. The application and interview process pretty well dictates that solution. At least maybe it'll be an above board, out in the open beauty contest this time.

dropping all the applicants off the Sunsphere and appointing the one who bounces highest.

Reported by a worker at the Asbury Precinct on election day: Up drives Jack Huddleston and Steve Hunley in Steve's Escalade. They both get out and walk around the precint to make sure everything is in order as they think it should be. Says one Kay Frazier supporter to a Gailen Porter supporter: "Well, we havn't seen the King today, but we've seen two of his men."

Sproles will be a contender. He and his wife have sold enough chicken salad to raise the cash to campaign. But, he has almost zip for name recognition. The 5th is strong Republican. Briggs has worked hard, particularly door to door. I've not seen Sproles doing likewise. Briggs also got a lot of good press and endorsements during the primary. It was near impossible to find someone who didn't like him.

Sproles seems to be standing at the plate and Briggs is rounding second. Dr. Briggs, don't look back, he might be gaining...

I suppose he's made the decision not to start a campaign until after the primary? That might be a good use of limited funds but the "standing at the plate and Brigg is rounding second" is the risk you run with that approach. Still, if Sproles is going to make a serious run, it's inappropriate for Briggs to get the 5c spot and probably a pretty poor political tactic to seek it. And then there were only two "easy" choices.