Voters in GOP primary will elect next Sullivan County commissioner of highways

BLOUNTVILLE — One of several races that will be decided in May 1 party primaries is for the top job at the Sullivan County Highway Department. Sullivan County Commissioner of Highways Jim Belgeri is seeking a second four-year term. Scott Murray, a 37-year former employee of the department, is seeking to unseat Belgeri. Both men met state certification requirements to hold the office, which currently pays about $111,000 per year. That's set to increase by the time the winner takes office on Sept. 1. On July, the state-mandated minimum salary of the commissioner of highways for a county the size of Sullivan will increase to $109,046. Sullivan County has for many years paid its highway commissioner an extra $6,835 in compensation because of what's described as additional duties and responsibilities. With that, the office will pay nearly $116,000 per year as of July 1. Early voting begins April 11 at the Sullivan County Election office in Blountville and on April 19 expands to the Kingsport Civic Auditorium and the National Guard Armory in Bristol. Early voting ends at all three sites on April 26. City voters are county taxpayers and eligible to cast ballots in county elections. The Kingsport Times News asked Belgeri and Murray to each respond to three questions, with deadline and a word-count limit on their responses. Here's what we asked and how they answered:Q: What professional experience should Sullivan County's next commissioner of highways bring to the office, and what in your own background makes you the best candidate in that regard? Belgeri: "The position of commissioner of highways requires both organizational and technical skills in order to provide more than perfunctory leadership to this diverse organization. In my first term, there was little time lost in putting together an organization that addressed all the requirements of managing machinery, manpower and materials. In addition, making and conforming to a large budget proved to be a natural, give my prior experience with budgets and expense management in the private sector. Outside of the important aspect of dealing with the legislative body of the county (County Commission), virtually all parts of the job were very similar in scope to my 40-plus years of consulting engineering. With regard to the commission, I was able to gain confidence within that body through 100 percent honesty and transparency as well as demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the technical requirements of the job." Murray: "As a 37-year veteran of the Highway Department, I can tell you the department is far more than asphalt — it's bridges, guardrails and safety enhancements, snow removal, drainage and mowing, and most of all, it's about the employees we trust to bring us the safest roads possible. During the last four years, hundreds of years' worth of shared road maintenance and construction experience have quit rather than suffer the current divisive leadership. A clear majority of Highway Department employees are desperate for a change that gets them out of the endless backbiting and useless busywork and back to work patching holes and paving roads. For the voter, and taxpayer, the bottom line should always be results. Ask yourself, 'Are Sullivan County roads in better shape than they were four years ago?' When you go to the polls, remember the holes. Vote for a Road You Deserve!"Q: What is the No. 1 issue for the Highway Department in the coming four years, and what will you do to address it? Belgeri: "As with any organization of this size, there are a few issues that will dictate the successful, or otherwise, performance. These issues, during the next four years for the SCHD, include increased emphasis on safe operations; increased productivity through reliance on technology; growth in responsibility and accountability at all levels in the organization; and transition of leadership within a somewhat aging group of employees. This latter need is probably the No. 1 need for the organization, and the current administration is addressing this need through increased emphasis on outside training and certification. Also, the current organization structure places much emphasis on assistants and lead men who are being positioned to take on more responsibility as retirements or natural force reductions occur." Murray: "It's not rocket science. The No. 1 issue for the Highway Department in the coming four years is to fix the roads. There are more than 900 miles of roads and the current commissioner has paved less than 20 miles a year for the past three years. At the current rate, citizens would only see their roads resurfaced on a 45-year cycle. This is unacceptable! Costs will soar as crumbling roadbeds cost a lot more to fix than worn asphalt, all while putting our residents, particularly our youngest drivers, at greater risk. One of the quickest improvements would be to eliminate unproductive office positions created and redirect resources to putting more shovels in hands and boots on the ground." Q: Does the Sullivan County Highway Department have enough employees, equipment and annual operating funds?Belgeri: "The SCHD does have, for the most part, adequate resources at current funding levels to complete its basic mission. An increase in funding of the paving budget would be helpful in the department's goal to increase the pavement condition from its existing level of 'poor' to 'fair.' The department has already made an investment and commitment to pavement maintenance which will pay dividends in that regard in coming years. One additional item that SCHD could do better than the contracted source it now employs is the painting of traffic control (center and edge) lines on pavement with a slight increase in budget. This increase has been requested in the budget for FY 2018-2019. Beyond a four-year planning horizon, there are three major bridges that are owned by Sullivan County that will require multimillion-dollar rehabilitation within the next 10 to 15 years. These include two bridges on Devault Bridge Road (Allison Road complex) and a Bridge on Enterprise Road (Rainbow Bridge)."Murray: "Any bureaucrat can ask for more employees. But a true manager cuts top-heavy front office staff and puts more into the field producing. On the capital side, the Highway Department is currently operating with an asphalt plant that was built in the 1970s. This plant and associated support equipment like dump trucks could all use renewal to increase productivity. Annual operating funds are adequate at this time, especially with new state-shared road dollars. What's important is putting those dollars to work where they can deliver effectively for our citizens; with an open door to the county mayor, commission, employees and, most of all, the voters."