The rock group The Who sang, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” – and those lyrics are about 89 percent true of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, which, on Monday, Dec. 5 will usher in the new version of the board that will only have one new county commissioner out of nine seats: Board of Education Member Pat Tillman will trade in that title to take over the seat of District 5 County Commissioner Justin Conrad.
The Board of Commissioners will change on Monday. Dec. 5, shortly after 10 a.m. Every other year, following an election, the board – in accordance with state law – holds an early December Monday morning swearing-in ceremony for new commissioners as well as for those who were reelected to their seats in the November 2022 General Election.
Tillman will take Conrad’s seat on the dais in the Board of Commissioners’ meeting room. Both men are Republicans who share many similar views regarding county government, and since the Democrats will maintain a strong majority – and since Tillman and Conrad see eye to eye on many things – there’s no reason to expect much if any change of behavior for the board as a whole.
On December 5, the board will also elect a new chair – a seat that’s sometimes referred to as the “mayor of the county.” This is another way in which the new boss will look the same as the old boss. The board is going to reelect Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston to that role for a mind-bending eighth time.
Alston told the Rhino Times that he wants the job again largely to have time to follow through with some of the board’s initiatives that are underway but have yet to be completed.
That means that, in 2023, in many actions as well, the new board is going to look very similar to its predecessor.
3 quarters & 9 politicians still won’t add up to a dollar.
Not enough new members sadly.
We’ll get what the majority asked for
Out with the old, in with the old.
Same old stuff. Guilford County is doomed.