The Elmore County Republican Executive Committee is requesting an amendment to an introduced bill allowing the Elmore County Board of Education (ECBOE) to appoint the Superintendent of Education.
Currently, the people of the county elect the county superintendent to the position. House Bill 99 (HB99) would give the ECBOE authority to appoint the superintendent after current Superintendent Richard Dennis' term expires.
The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) and co-sponsored by the House Elmore County delegation, which includes State Reps. Troy Stubbs (R-Wetumpka) and Jerry Starnes (R-Prattville).
Tuesday morning, the Elmore County Republican Party released an open letter to the Elmore County delegation asking to amend HB99 so the proposed change would appear on the ballot during the next county-wide election for a vote.
"Regardless of anyone's position on this issue of electing our School Superintendent vs. appointing the Superintendent, the members of the Elmore County Republican Executive Committee whose names appear below, believe that this is a serious enough issue to officially and publicly urge you to include the amendment described above, even though it may delay the timeline the Elmore County School Board prefers," the letter reads.
The letter does not attribute any ill motives to the sponsors but stresses the "right to vote is sacrosanct."
"We believe the voters of Elmore County are astute enough to make an informed decision regarding the selection of their Superintendent, and they should be allowed to decide if they want to surrender their right to vote for this office," the letter states. "We are extremely fortunate to currently have an outstanding Superintendent and Board of Education, and nothing herein should be construed as a criticism of either. We understand there may be good reasons to change this process, and if the majority of voters agree, then our system of democratic rule will be upheld. Otherwise, the electorate may lose trust in the political process if they are not allowed the right to vote on this important issue as the current version of HB-99 dictates."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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