Republican Thomas Gorman, of Dedham, and independent Michael Walsh, of Westwood, are both long shots to be elected Norfolk County Commissioners. This has not stopped either from trying. Gorman, in particular, has pursued his goal aggressively, as proven by the steady stream of releases he has sent to area newspapers.
Gorman and Walsh both showed up for a debate Thursday night in Medfield, hosted by the League of Women Voters. The Democratic incumbents, John Gillis, of Quincy, and Francis O’Brien, of Dedham, did not.
If it weren’t for the efforts of the challengers, Norfolk County voters would not even know this election was happening. This newspaper has not heard a word out Gillis or O’Brien, except those solicited by its reporters.
County government is not really on the radar of most Massachusetts voters. Many probably don’t know what it does.
Norfolk County has a proposed budget of $34 million for next year, funded mostly by state reimbursements, a portion of the excise tax and fees on deed transactions, and a county tax that cities and towns pay based on their property taxes.
The county oversees the sheriff's office and jail, the county courthouses, which are owned by the county but funded and run by the state, Presidents Golf Course in Quincy, the Agricultural High School in Walpole, and the Registry of Deeds. Among its functions, the Norfolk County government also helps its 28 cities and towns with planning and traffic studies, resource sharing and building regional coalitions, county Director Dan Matthews told the Daily News Transcript this summer.
That’s a lot, and a lot of money, to be overseen by three commissioners (two seats are up for reelection this year). As elected officials, Gillis and O’Brien owe it to the voters to explain what they do, why they do it well, and why they should continue to do it. Their silence shows disrespect for their offices and the trust the voters have given them.
The part-time county commissioners get paid $30,000 a year, more than some Norfolk County residents make for full-time jobs. At the very least, Gillis and O’Brien should explain what they do to earn that money.
Gorman proposes a radical idea: eliminating the county government entirely, transferring its responsibilities to the state and local governments. He wants to work from the inside to achieve that.
If Gillis and O’Brien believe Gorman is wrong, and county government is worth preserving, they need to face the voters and say so. It should not be hard; there is a strong argument to be made for what Norfolk County does. But, the commissioners can’t expect to ignore the voters and return to office next year.
The election is Nov. 4. There is still time, if the incumbents can work it into their busy schedules, for another debate.
