The Norfolk County Commission candidate who wants to dissolve county government has won approval to put a nonbinding ballot question to local voters in November.
Republican candidate Thomas Gorman's ballot question will ask voters in the 11th Norfolk District whether their state representative, currently Paul McMurtry, D-Dedham, should vote to abolish the county government and transfer its responsibilities to the state.
Gorman is making his second campaign for commissioner after unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Commissioner Peter H. Collins in 2006.
He had hoped to put the question on the ballot in the five remaining county governmental districts, but said he did not have enough volunteers to collect the required 200 voter signatures in each district.
"It's more of a public opinion poll," said Gorman, who hopes the ballot question will also increase awareness of his campaign. "If it's overwhelmingly supportive of my position ... then we bring it to legislators and say, 'Look, we want you to vote for this.' It's a polite way of citizen legislation."
Gorman has repeatedly filed legislation to get rid of what he believes is a wasteful and unnecessary form of regional government and plans to continue his advocacy even if he does not win the election.
Most of the 14 counties across the state dissolved their governments in the 1990s as their budgets outpaced the funding they received from county taxes and a portion of the fees on deed transactions.
The remaining county governments - those of Norfolk, Barnstable, Plymouth, Dukes and Bristol - are responsible for maintaining courthouses, overseeing local sheriffs and county jails and running the registry of deeds.
Norfolk County, which has a $34 million proposed fiscal 2009 budget, also runs Presidents Golf Course in Quincy and the Agricultural High School in Walpole.
Gorman and independent candidate Michael Walsh are running against incumbent Commissioners John M. Gillis of Quincy and Francis W. O'Brien of Dedham, both of whom are Democrats.
Daily News staff writer Lindsey Parietti can be reached at lindsey.parietti@cnc.com.
