Pamela Howard has demonstrated for over a decade that she has both: moral fiber and a critical management skill.

There is much discussion presuming an executive must be a strong leader; I prefer to think a more reasoned plan for our future will emerge if the council is stronger.

After the election, I would envision a council of Mr. Hodge, Dr. McCarthy and Ms. Moore capable of doing the heavy lifting to create the first long-range plan. Political activists seem to disregard that the Charter is a minimal sketch; the first council will write the blueprint to be passed down for perhaps the next twenty years.

Having a fundamentally honest, ethical elected executive with an exceptionally talented majority on council may be what county voters should support. The precedent of a cooperative relationship between council and executive is critical to our future.

But as tempting as that prospect is, Pamela Howard was never a big-picture person and failed to articulate persuasive arguments when she made unpopular but necessary proposals. If the election turns on the ability of the candidate to articulate a vision for the future, no doubt Tari Moore will win. But, if Pamela Howard’s supporters doggedly remind voters that the vindictive faction in the Republican Party will deny Ms Moore of her vision, and if Ms Howard remains above the fray in council races, she may be elected the first county executive.

If, as he assumes, McCarthy and Hodge are elected to the Council, the Smipkins would still hold a controlling three vote majority– even if they did not have the four votes to over ride a veto by the executive.

That means the Smipkin majority could just refuse to act on any bill that the Executive wanted to put into law. This is a recipe for stalemate and inaction.