It’s all in the family—the Democratic
Party, that is, which enjoys a stranglehold on Boulder County government.
First, let it be said that if the three Boulder County commissioners were Republicans
engaging in the same sort of behavior, I would criticize them as well. What’s
going on here may be perfectly legal, but to some of us it’s objectionable.
Case in point: The position of County Attorney
is up for grabs as of Dec. 21 and term-limited Boulder County Commissioner Ben
Pearlman, chairman of the board, says he wants the job, which would amount to a
hefty salary increase. (Commissioner $87,500; County Attorney
$110,000/$160,000, present CA who is retiring draws $159,220.)
The fact that Pearlman worked in the
county attorney’s office before running for commissioner gives him an advantage
that cannot be ignored by his fellow commissioners, no matter their pledge to
consider every applicant. However, it will be difficult for commissioners Cindy
Domenico and Will Toor to escape the appearance of insider favoritism if they
do appoint him. Yet they could look equally bad if they don’t. People might
wonder why.
Future remedy? The City of Louisville at
the prodding of resident John Leary adopted a strict Ethics Code in 1992 that,
among other things, prohibits Louisville’s elected officials from becoming
employees of the city until two years after leaving office. It’s working
nicely.
Maybe it’s time to outsource the county’s
legal services. There are plenty of law firms around that should be interested
in bidding for a stake in this gold mine. Since the county has to hire special
counsel whenever a sticky case arises anyway (e.g., the county’s failed crusade
against the Rocky Mountain Christian Church), then why not seek bids and
contract out the whole caboodle? Surely, county law is not all that
complicated.
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