OUR VIEW : Getting started
Election Commission seems to have struck gold with new hire
Posted: July 29, 2009 at 8:17 a.m.
BENTON COUNTY — The Benton County Election Commission completed a very important task this week, choos ing Helen C. Peltier as its new coordinator.
After longtime election coordinator Jim McCarthy resigned abruptly last month, the commission was left to scramble for a new leader with less than three months to go before schoolboard elections.
The three commissioners considered 14 applicants, and on Monday unanimously approved Peltier for the post.
Peltier, apparently, is a wonderful fit. She has a couple of years of experience recruiting and managing poll workers, duties that make up about half the job description. She is familiar with other aspects of operating the commission as well. She also brings management experience from positions in the business world.
Commission Chairman Bill Williams heaped praise upon her. "If you were going to paint a picture of what an election coordinator should be, it would be Helen Peltier,"Williams said. "We couldn't have done any better."
After hearing an endorsement like that, it's hard not to feel confident that the commission is in good hands. Of course, with school-board elections coming up on Sept. 15, she'll get an early but relatively easy, test. If the commission gets through that OK, our confidence in Peltier will be strengthened. Nothing talks like results.
The commission still is interested in hiring some help for the coordinator - an idea we support. That move likely will come later this year; by that time, Peltier will know better what kind of assistance she needs, Williams said.
Welcome aboard, Helen, and good luck. With memories of the debacle that was the 2006 general election still fresh in our minds, we refuse to take anything for granted when it comes to voting in Benton County - especially when there are so many new hands on deck. Peltier is new to the job, but none of the three commissioners has been on board for more than five months, either.
Our hope is that Sept. 15 will be free of surprises.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 07/29/2009
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