I must say, I wasn’t surprised on Jan. 24 when Steve Stuart announced on his Facebook page that he would not seek re-election to the Clark County Board of Commissioners. I can say that I was disappointed, not in Stuart or his decision, but in the fact that our county would not be represented by someone who I have a lot of respect for and someone who I trusted to always seek the best solution for the county and its residents despite personal ideology.
I’ve had very little personal interaction with Stuart over the years, a handful of conversations at best. I did have the opportunity to talk with him on the phone for a while on the day he made his announcement. I found his explanation for his decision to be quite understandable (see story page A1).
During my conversation with Stuart, I shared with him that I’ve never understood those who try to make local politics all about ideology.
“That is absolutely what I believe as well,’’ Stuart responded. “Local politics is about issues and people and not about (political) parties and ideology. What’s partisan about a pothole?’’
I know there will be county residents who believe that Stuart should have stayed and fought the good fight against his fellow commissioners Tom Mielke and David Madore. There are those who believe his decision to walk away was solely because he was tired of being outvoted 2-1 on seemingly every important issue facing the commissioners.
I don’t think Stuart is walking away because he lost a lot of recent votes and expected to lose more in the future. He walked away because there weren’t even any meaningful discussions taking place on the board since Madore replaced Marc Boldt. It seems Mielke and Madore don’t share my view that local politics shouldn’t be about ideology.
“There are some who would try to paint this as conservative vs. liberal,’’ said Stuart, the lone Democrat among the three commissioners. “Not only does it miss the mark, but those people haven’t been paying attention. It’s factually incorrect. I grew up in a very conservative house. My parents are conservative Republicans. But, they don’t recognize the local Republican Party as conservative Republicans.’’
Stuart confirmed what everyone already knew. The dynamics on the board have changed dramatically since Madore replaced Boldt.
“The issues are always difficult; getting to a solution is always difficult,’’ said Stuart, who then compared the makeup of the Board before the change with the current combination of commissioners. “The way we got to those decisions (before) was different and it was about really working it through and talking it through and looking for a solution. We didn’t get what we wanted individually, but we got what was needed.
“There is no real conversation now,’’ Stuart added. “There’s words, but no real deliberation.’’
Stuart said he doesn’t blame Madore.
“I don’t put it on any one individual,’’ he said. “I think it would be overly simplistic to put it on one individual. And, anybody who knows me knows that I don’t tend to boil down and simplify complex issues. It’s not just the individuals. It’s the nature of the debate.
“It became dogmatic and ideological,’’ Stuart added of the interaction of the current commissioners. “There was no room for alternate views and there was no middle ground. There was no room for input from citizens, staff or other commissioners or elected officials. No alternate opinions mattered.’’
Stuart cautioned everyone that “this too shall pass.’’
“The pendulum swings and the pendulum swings back,’’ he said. “I get concerned when the pendulum swings too hard. I tend to believe it’s best when it’s stable. I think that’s best for the citizens getting the services they need and are paying for.’’
I’ve revealed to those of you who read this space on a regular basis that I have always considered myself a conservative Republican. Stuart is not. So, don’t paint us with the same brush in one broad stroke. But like I said, local politics aren’t about ideology. They’re about issues that should be discussed in a meaningful way by open-minded individuals who have the best interests of the area residents at heart.
I truly believe Stuart was one of the good ones, regardless of political affiliation. And, our county will not be better off without him serving as a commissioner.
Ken Vance
Editor
