My favorite elected officials are the County Commissioners, formally called “Judges”. State or Federal Representatives and Senators take care of state and federal business and after the election you don’t see them again until the next election. The County Commissioners don’t head to Washington D.C. or Jefferson City. They are at the Courthouse every week twelve months out of the year where people can walk in at any time while they are in session without an appointment. They are known personally by most people in the county who don’t hesitate to go to the courthouse to voice their complaints or concerns.
One woman walked in to the Lafayette County Commissioners meeting and told the Commissioners she didn’t want that County road grader backing up on the road near her property any more because that bell dinging was scaring all the quail away.
The Lafayette County Commissioners drove to California for a County Commissioners Conference. The Conference was over with early and they realized they would have time to play a round of golf. Jim Strodtman, the Presiding Commissioner, hit the ball down the fairway. It was a good drive but it veered off to the right and landed in the rough. Just as he was going to get the ball he noted the sprinkler system came on where the ball had landed. I know Jim personally and know he is not a tightwad but he hated to lose a golf ball and decided what was a little water on a warm summer day if he got wet. There was just one problem. The sprinkler system at the golf course was coming from a sewer lagoon. The three Commissioners spend most of their time voting on County business. Even though one of the other Commissioners was a Democrat and one was a Republican, the vote was unanimous that if Jim wanted a ride back to Lexington all four windows would have to be down.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com
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