BML INSIDER Column: A NEW COMMISSION/A NEW TONE

A NEW COMMISSION/A NEW TONE

It’s interesting to watch the transitions in elected office and the impact they have on political discourse.  We have a new member to the Brevard County Commission.  Will the tone and actions of the commission change?  Maybe.  We certainly saw a start at it with Tuesday’s commission meeting.

New Commissioner Bryan Lober has moved aggressively with initiatives he touted during his campaign.  That deserves respect.  A politician doing exactly what he said he would do on the campaign trail is rare enough.  While Lober’s tone may need some adjustment if he is to win the day, his attitude of doing the job he was elected to do is commendable.

I understand, but have not heard the audio, that I was the subject of discussion for some period during the meeting.  I care not.  I’m an opinionated public figure who regularly comments on the politics of our county.  Lober, while wishing to not reference me by name, had better get used to mentions by me.  He’s elected, he’s accountable and we talk those issues all the time.

I don’t expect to always be in agreement with Lober or any other commissioner.  What I do expect is the professionalism expected of the position…from all of them.  I’ll give the courtesy due or the lack thereof when warranted.  It takes broad shoulders to live in the fishbowl.  I hope he has the gills for it.

Some of these initiatives are good, some are not so good and some are purely posturing.  Let’s hope the commission as a whole is ready to weed out the wheat from the chaff and bring the good ones to fruition while leaving the bad ones on the cutting room floor. 

How they are presented, the demeanor with which they are discussed and the willingness to listen as the issues are addressed will impact the success rate.  Let’s hope those lessons have come home, for if they have, I am hopeful of a successful year for the commission.  Should this devolve into political point making battles, we will see a circus that doesn’t represent any of us well.

It’s up to the officials, new and old, as to how it all shakes out.