Dec 13, 2004 4 min read

Many people wondered how multi-millionaire businessman Joe Hardy would make the transition from the public sector to the private sector when he was elected as a Fayette County commissioner last year. Some feared that Hardy would have trouble making the switch, noting he had never served in any public office before and would find running the county much different from operating his own business. They said that Hardy was used to doing things his own way. As a commissioner, they pointed out, he would need the support and help of others, including the public, to get anything done.

Sadly after almost a year in office, some of those concerns are being realized.

While Hardy deserves high praise for his work in reshaping downtown Uniontown, those efforts came on his own without any county involvement.

His attempts at shaking up county government haven’t been nearly as successful.

In fact, two of his biggest proposals were recently defeated.

First, he asked his fellow commissioners to go along with a $16 million renovation of the courthouse. Commission Chairwoman Angela Zimmerlink and Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites both rejected the motion outright, noting there’s no grant money available for such a project, and county taxpayers simply can’t afford to come up with that kind of money.

Then, he dropped his second bombshell. He submitted a motion to build a new 504-bed prison at a cost of $35 million. Needless to say, it was also rejected by Zimmerlink and Vicites.

Hardy then took his ball and went home, storming out of the meeting.

Let’s hope this isn’t a portent of things to come.

Let’s hope that Hardy comes to his senses and realizes the difference between running 84 Lumber and Fayette County. The biggest difference is that as a commissioner, Hardy’s not spending his own money. He’s spending taxpayer’s money and as such is obligated to try and explain to taxpayers why they need to follow his lead.

There were reports that Hardy was holding secret meetings about his plan for a new prison. We never knew exactly what was going on, so it’s hard to tell what Hardy’s intentions were. But that’s why secrecy is never a good thing as far as government is concerned. Eventually, public officials have to get support for their plans, and how can they get that when people don’t know what’s going on?

By not giving any details on his plan for a new prison, Hardy doomed it to failure. There was no word on how the county would pay for the facility, where it would be located or a number of other crucial details.

Unfortunately, he took the same course on his proposal to renovate the courthouse. While he’s to be commended for underwriting an architectural study of work needed at the courthouse, Hardy never bothered to share it with the public. Sure, everyone knows there are problems with the place and something must be done. But what’s the extent of the problems? Is it going to fall down next week? Can repairs be done piecemeal over a number of years? If so, what should be done first?

Taxpayers received none of those answers. The commissioners did agree Friday to spend $500,000 in the coming year on courthouse renovations. That seems like a wise move. Maybe Hardy can share the results of the study with his fellow commissioners and an orderly plan of work can be devised.

Unfortunately, these two issues aren’t isolated episodes. Colorful and charismatic on the campaign trail, Hardy has been rather quiet since taking office. He doesn’t say much at the commissioners’ meetings, commenting little when given the opportunity. He also leaves meetings early and never stays afterward as the other two commissioners do to try and explain the reasons behind their decisions. That’s been a longstanding practice of commissioners for many years.

While all this complaining might sound like a minor matter, it’s very important for public officials to communicate with taxpayers. They deserve to know why and how their money is being spent. Often the issues are complex, and it’s important that county commissioners take the time to give their read on things.

It’s not like Hardy is a shrinking violet or doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s never had any problem speaking his mind, and he’s displayed a sharp sense at times for what’s happening in county government.

He just needs to communicate his views better. If he doesn’t, then not only Hardy, but all of Fayette County will suffer.

Mark O’Keefe is the executive editor of the Herald-Standard. O’Keefe can be reached by e-mail at mo’keefe@heraldstandard.com or by phone at 724-439-7569.