Don’t give up right to elect treasurer

Sherrif Fred Newman
Published: October 30, 2008

Over 300 years ago, our legislative forefathers had the foresight to create the constitutional officer concept as a check and balance system on local government. This guarantees that a local citizen can be
elected to fill these positions. I cannot imagine, even for a second, that the citizens of Manassas Park would want to give up these offices and their voting right to elect a citizen representative as
treasurer.

It is true that our state budget has been tight this past year; however, if this office is eliminated and special legislation is not approved by the General Assembly, the citizens of Manassas Park will have to
bear the financial burden for the services provided by this office through their local tax dollars.

In 1973, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors decided to abolish the office of treasurer and commissioner and had the matter placed on the ballot for a referendum vote. It passed by 291 votes and
the offices of treasurer and commissioner were abolished. In less than two years, the citizens of the county were so dissatisfied with the services they were receiving that they organized a campaign and
got enough signatures to have the courts place this matter of reinstatement on the ballot in 1977.  The citizens of Roanoke County overwhelmingly voted to reinstate the offices of treasurer and
commissioner, and former Treasurer Fred Anderson was re-elected and remained until his retirement as one of Virginia’s most outstanding and progressive treasurers.

In recent years, Hanover and York County local governments both tried to eliminate the office of sheriff through the referendum process. The citizens of both localities also overwhelmingly rejected this and
sent a strong message to local governments not to interfere with their right to elect their own constitutional officer representative. This constitutional office belongs to the citizens of Manassas Park and
not to the office holder.

In 1820, Thomas Jefferson said, “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves.”

I hope that the citizens of Manassas Park will also respond in the same fashion and let your local government officials know that you do not wish to give up your right as a citizen to elect your own
constitutional officer representatives.

Sheriff FRED NEWMAN

Washington County, Virginia

President of the Virginia Association of Local Elected Constitutional Officers