Neal Best Choice For Commission

By Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board

Published: July 25, 2008

In the twilight of his life, Sullivan County Commissioner Ralph Harr led a crusade for schools.

He wanted the county to build new ones in growing areas, like Piney Flats, and close underused ones. His persistent advocacy helped set a countywide school study in motion, but he didn’t live to see it come to fruition.

Robert “Bob” Neal, 62, and Bart Long, 31, both of Bristol, Tenn., are seeking to fill Harr’s seat.

Both men have their strengths, but Neal seems to have a slightly better feel for the issues facing the county – particularly on the matter of schools. Accordingly, the Bristol Herald Courier’s editorial board recommends Neal for the 3rd District Commission seat.

This wasn’t an easy choice. Long’s youthful energy is contagious. He has a strong ambition to serve as a county commissioner and a genuine desire to, as he put it, “make Sullivan County a better place to live and work.”

Neal, a retired mid-level manager for Eastman Chemical Co., is lower key. He doesn’t burn with ambition, but he wants to serve.

Neal’s ties to the Sullivan County power structure gave us pause, but weren’t enough of a concern to recommend against his election. Neal considers Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Blountville auctioneer, a close friend and makes no bones about his plan to work on the campaign if Ramsey runs for governor.

Neal also is on a first-name basis with County Mayor Steve Godsey and attends church with another county commissioner. Neal said he won’t be a rubber-stamp vote for Godsey’s policies, and we believe him. However, if he is elected, he must work hard to reassure voters of his independence.

Long, a real estate agent and auctioneer, has none of the perceived baggage that can come with years of political involvement. This will be a plus for many voters. However, his inexperience was evident in discussions of the county school system.

The County Commission and the Board of Education are facing hard decisions about the school system’s size. Enrollment continues to decline, and the county is maintaining buildings designed for much larger numbers of students. Some schools are outdated or in poor repair, and it makes little sense to invest in substantial repairs to them. While the Board of Education decides where to close or build schools, the County Commission holds the purse strings and is in a position to nudge policy in the right direction.

The first phase of an in-depth study found some schools (including Mary Hughes in Piney Flats) are choked to capacity, while others are woefully underused. Some of these underused schools will be mostly empty in a decade.

The second phase of the study – under way now – will determine the physical condition of the county’s school buildings. A similar study in Bristol, Tenn., prompted construction of a new elementary school to replace two older ones.

Neal doesn’t oppose consolidation, if there are proven cost savings. He hasn’t quite decided whether he supports construction of a new school in Piney Flats or favors an addition to Mary Hughes, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade. Neal shows flexibility on the matter and a willingness to spend money on school construction if that is the best option.

“I favor what is not necessarily the cheapest, but what will save money in the long run,” Neal explained.

Long, meanwhile, was reluctant to depart from his staunch anti-tax philosophy, even to support school construction. He could not say with certainty that he would support issuing bonds for such a construction project.

Asked about tax increases, Neal indicated he would support one if all other “avenues to find ways to operate more efficiently” were first exhausted.

Long is opposed under all circumstances, noting that the county has raised taxes because it was “easier.”

Both men appear to be fiscal conservatives, but Neal gives himself more room to deal with budgetary reality. Neal also appears more likely to carry on the late Ralph Harr’s vision of a smaller, but first-class school system. When they go to the polls on Aug. 7, voters should give him the chance to do so.