Macon, we have a problem

Remember the Apollo 13 lunar mission and the famous line from the movie, "Houston, we have a problem" (actually it was "Houston, we've had a problem here.") when they found out they had suffered a major malfunction 200,000 miles from Earth. Let me be the first to tell you, Macon-Bibb County, we may have a problem.

Confusion could rule the day May 24 when we vote for nonpartisan posts and at the same time vote in partisan primaries. State law says nonpartisan elections must be held on the same date as partisan primaries. Therein lies the problem — a problem the authors of our consolidation measure didn't consider. If they knew then what they know now, they surely would have tried to come up with a work around, but who knew?

Here's the deal. Since it is a party primary, voters have to declare whether they want a Republican or Democratic party ballot. Got that? The Democratic ballot will have all the nonpartisan races and Democratic races. No Republican partisan candidates will appear on that ballot. The Republican ballot will have all the nonpartisan and Republican partisan races, and no Democratic partisan races will appear on that ballot. So, what's the problem? That's the way it has always been, right?

Here's where the confusion will set in. The Republican ballot will not have the race for Bibb County sheriff or tax commissioner. Those races are between partisan Democrats. Whoever wins the primary — since there are no Republican challengers in November — will ascend to the office in January 2017.

I see you shaking your head in bewilderment. If you vote early or go to your polling place May 24 and decide to vote Republican, you will not be able to vote for sheriff or tax commissioner. No trickery here. Those are the rules set out by a state government.

State Rep. James Beverly, a Democrat, almost saved Republicans from themselves. He tried to move the municipal elections to coincide with the presidential election in November to increase voter turnout, a laudable idea, but a complete anathema to what Republicans are wont to do. What his measure, House Bill 978, should have included was a section making the office of tax commissioner nonpartisan.

In one race, Sheriff David Davis will win no matter if Republicans decide to stay cloistered and decide on a ballot that contains few, if any, competitive races. There are enough Democrats to keep Davis in office. However, there will be more than a few Republican voters who'll be upset because they can't vote for him.

The other race in question is tax commissioner. I must admit, I wondered why C. Jack Ellis had been playing coy about whether he would enter that race. Being tax commissioner is not exactly his style. If Wade McCord, the present commissioner, had figured it out, his chess play could have been to qualify as a Republican, but Ellis' screen and go play worked to perfection. How many voters even know what McCord looks like?

Between Republicans who can't bring themselves to ask for a Democratic ballot to others who have checked out due to the national party's disintegration or are just unaware, we could see a new tax commissioner come January. You have to give Ellis his due. He is a great campaigner with name recognition out the wazoo. You can't blame him for taking political advantage of a situation he didn't create.

Tax commissioner is one of those elected posts that has no business being in a partisan election anyway. But here lies the root of this edition of unintended consequences and should be a lesson learned. Most everything the General Assembly passes is imperfect. There are adjustments, that if prudent, (i.e. changes to the fireworks bill of 2015) that should be made. Changing the mayor's powers to hire and fire wasn't prudent, but it was worthy of debate.

Our legislative delegation is not some group of royal princes (don't tell them that) who, depending on the issue, listen to the people, while on the other hand, issues edicts none of the people asked for. They try to have it both ways, and they will continue to walk that path as long as we let them. This time not opening up the charter to re-examination may cost them. Commissioner Ellis does have a certain ring to it, if nothing else.

Charles E. Richardson is The Telegraph's editorial page editor. He can be reached at 478-744-4342 or via email at crichardson@macon.com. Tweet@crichard1020.

This story was originally published March 26, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Macon, we have a problem ."