Stating the Obvious

Congratulations are due to Van Johnson, Sr. for winning the mayoral race in Apalachicola.

In fact, congratulations to both candidates in the runoff of what could be fairly characterized as a clean campaign, a welcome breath of fresh air in the current election climate.

But in winning Mr. Johnson humbly deflected a point which has impact throughout the county, though certainly Mr. Johnson neither intended, nor likely wanted, for it to be interpreted as such.

When asked by Times staff writer Lois Swoboda how it felt to be elected as the first African-American mayor in Apalachicola, Johnson said he wasn't the first of anything, just the mayor of Apalachicola.

Judge me by my actions, not my skin tone, he might as well have said.

And he's right and it is time for county commissioners to listen carefully to what Mr. Johnson was saying.

At the risk of putting words in the mayor's mouth, he was saying that it shouldn't matter if I'm purple or green or reside on planet Krypton as long as I can do the job, do it with dignity and in service to the people.

Simple as that, no social change implied.

And that is how subtle the landscape can change beneath us and why the issue of countywide voting should be addressed and disposed of this year by the county commission.

The voters have already spoken, rather loudly and rather clearly. By a clear majority there is no mistake where the voters stand on this issue.

Toss the legalese aside, lawyers disagree, but the fact is that recent precedent Washington County, where the county spent around $35,000 to eliminate single-member districts demonstrates that it doesn't necessarily cost an exorbitant sum to get the case to court.

Could be there are folks in the private sector, the Concerned Citizens of Franklin County come to mind, who might be willing to invest if there was a guarantee on how the money was spent.

But in his humble way, Mr. Johnson voiced the most compelling reason he didn't need any kind of artifice to win, the majority of the people voting in Apalachicola that night thought him the better man.

He was the mayor of Apalachicola, not a segment or specific neighborhood, but the entire city, the largest in the county.

He didn't face just 20 percent of the voters; his future is dependent on all the voters, not just those in a single district or a geographical area.

Mr. Johnson won facing the voters in the county seat and he came away victorious because more people believed him the man for the job.

There is no better example of how much single-member districts are from another era, in need of being relegated to the history books.

It served a purpose, this rigged political system, but the time has come and gone.

Until this county is pulling in one direction, with each commissioner accountable to every voter and resident, reining in spending, trimming a bloated budget, providing genuine property tax relief while enhancing services is simply unattainable.

The ballot box is the one place where everybody starts out even, the disenfranchised, the minority, the left behind, their vote counts just as much as the one from the man in the house on the hill.

There is no need for affirmative action in politics anymore, what is needed is the right man or woman with public service in their heart and mind and skin color or heritage aren't even on the radar.

They weren't last week for Mr. Johnson.

His words are worth listening to again and again.