Jul. 14—The recent decision by the Union County Board of Commissioners to approve ratification of a new six-year contract between the sheriff's office and the city of Elgin was completed with little fanfare, but the saga attached to the final approval should serve as a prototype regarding problem-solving for future local lawmakers and officials.
Readers may recall at one point in the spring the Elgin City Council planned to reestablish the city's police department after years of contract protection services from the sheriff's office. The decision was a weighty one because it would mean new costs for city taxpayers and would have forced Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen to lay off two deputies.
Elgin taxpayers eventually became involved — as they should — and raised a number of good questions regarding the nuts and bolts of the idea. Eventually Bowen and Elgin lawmakers were able to work out a compromise that we believe will prove highly beneficial down the road for both the city and the county.
Why this specific example of what may appear to be a routine government matter is crucial is because of the way it played out. A compromise was never a sure thing and any number of elected leaders in the mix could have decided to do what is so often seen at the national political level: dig in their heels and refuse to budge.
That type of behavior seems legion in the halls of Congress but thankfully, in this rural area at least, cooler heads prevailed.
The key was compromise, dialogue and the involvement of taxpayers. So often in our digital day and age the involvement of voters is often lacking. Or, there is involvement by voters on a specific issue, but they tend to be members of the lunatic fringe on the left and right. Why Americans generally allow those who carry a fairly large ax to grind — both liberals and conservatives — to steer the ship of state remains one of those early 21st century mysteries that defies explanation.
The good news for us, though, is this governmental issue that could have cost jobs and millions of dollars was worked out by local people with input from voters.
That is how democracy is supposed to work.