I was elected as the Springville Representative, Place No. 2, on the St. Clair County Board of Education. The Springville school zone/district is represented by Jim McClendon, Ala. House, District 50, Scott Beason, Ala. Senate, District 17 and Ken Crowe, District 2, on the St. Clair County Commission. I live in an area represented by Blaine Galliher, Ala. House, District 30, Del Marsh, Alabama Senate, District 12, and Jeff Brown, District 1, on the St. Clair County Commission.
If I want to lobby a legislator or commissioner for help on an education project or issue in Springville, the representatives I must talk to are not the same ones who represent me. I could, in fact, be working against myself and very own local community or vice versa.
The problems of the superintendent is even more compounded as she has to deal with several different legislators for help on projects in different school districts being represented by people with interests spread out over other counties. How crazy is that?
To complicate matters further, should a person living in Northeast St. Clair County be compelled to seek office in the Alabama House, based on a local issue or own personal desires, it would be almost impossible for him/her to win even if every voter in St. Clair County voted for him/her. This means, in theory, the representative in the Alabama House could decide to support, or not support, Northeast St. Clair County on an issue with very little loss of majority voter support.
The current system is confusing and fraught with problems. It dilutes our St. Clair County voter strength and influence.
I am sure that all our legislators want the best for St. Clair County. Exactly how much political control they want to sacrifice for St. Clair County might be a different story.
Jim McClendon opened up a can of worms on this issue. Now, let’s go fishing!
— John DeGaris, St. Clair County Board of Education
