Former commissioners bring experience to House

By Todd McGee
Communications Director

When Efton Sager made the decision in early 2008 to give up his seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners so he could seek a seat in the N.C. House of Representatives, he jokingly told voters that he was "going to the house – one way or the other."

Rep. Pearl Burris-Floyd, pictured with her daughter, Jessica, is a former member of the NCACC Board of Directors, having served as District 12 director from August 2004 through 2008. (Photos by Todd McGee)

Sager won his election, so instead of retiring to his home in Wayne County, he becomes one of three former county commissioners making the leap to the House this year, joining Pearl Burris-Floyd (Gaston County) and David Guice (Transylvania County).

Each acknowledged the state is faced with a daunting task to adopt a balanced budget for the 2009-2011 fiscal years but said that would not detract from their desire to work on issues of importance to counties. Each also said their experiences as a county commissioner will make them a more effective legislator.

"I am excited about the opportunity to be here," said Guice. "It is a wonderful opportunity. As a county commissioner … I found it was extremely important to be a good listener and to seek counsel from those who are wise and have knowledge. As a freshman legislator, I will be eager to ask questions and to engage in the conversations so I can be a better legislator."

"I felt I would be able to help all counties in the Legislature because, as a county commissioner, I was aware of the issues that impact counties," said Sager. "I'm not saying I can change all these issues, but I will do what I can."

Burris-Floyd is a former member of the NCACC Board of Directors. She said she believes the experience she gained serving on the NCACC Board prepared her for serving in the General Assembly.

Not only did she gain a statewide perspective on local issues, but she also made friendships with other former county commissioners who are now in the General Assembly, such as Reps. Becky Carney (Mecklenburg) and Pat McElraft (Carteret).

"This is just like going back to college," Burris-Floyd said in her office at the Legislative Building. "You arrive on campus in wide-eyed wonder. It does give you that 'freshman' feeling again, but then you realize that you have a little more experience, having served as a county commissioner."

She added that the relationships she made while serving on the NCACC Board of Directors will help her effectiveness as a legislator.

"It's always good to come in as a freshman, and you know some of the upperclassmen," she said. "That opens the way to co-signing or being a part of legislation that you wouldn't otherwise have coming in as a freshman."

Rep. David Guice (pictured with his wife and legislative assistant, Kerry) served two terms on the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners before taking office in the N.C. House.

Guice, Burris-Floyd and Sager are all Republicans, which puts them in the minority in the House. All acknowledge the importance of working across the aisle.

"My main goal is to begin to build relationships with people, especially across the aisle," Guice said. "I think that is extremely important."

"The realization has hit that I am no longer in the majority," said Burris-Floyd, who was serving on an all-Republican Board of Commissioners. "That changes how you operate. To get something passed, there has to be bipartisan support, and that is all about building relationships.

"The overall feeling is that people get along. They agree to disagree, and that's a good thing. It shows that our democracy works."

Guice's district includes Transylvania, Henderson and Polk counties, which means he will have three times as many people clamoring for his attention as when he served on the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners. He said he welcomes the opportunity to serve a larger constituency and plans on being very active within his communities. Prior to taking office, he met with many local government and citizen groups.

"I wanted to hear from them about their concerns," he said. "I didn't want the conversation to be one-sided."

He is sending regular e-mail communications to the city and county managers and school superintendents in his district to keep them apprised of events in Raleigh. He is also looking at creating a 15-person panel – five citizens from each county – to meet with him regularly when he is in the district.

Guice also said he is considering posting regular legislative updates on his personal Web site, www.davidguice.com, as another method to reach out to citizens. And he is in discussions with a local newspaper about possibly writing regular articles about the General Assembly.

"Communication is very important to me," he said.

Burris-Floyd's district includes Gaston and Cleveland counties. She said that because she served as a county commissioner, she is already receiving phone calls from her constituents about issues.

Former Wayne County Commissioner Efton Sager is a veteran of U.S. wars in Korea and Vietnam.

"People back home are confident in calling me and letting me know what their concerns are," she said.

While the state budget is expected to dominate the session, the freshmen also have individual goals they are looking to pursue. Not surprisingly, some of those goals have been adopted as goals by the Association.

For instance, Sager said he in particular wants to work on expanding the use of 911 Fund fees, which has long been a goal of county commissioners across the state. Currently, the state restricts how counties can spend funds generated by the 911 surcharge.

"Counties definitely know more about how the funds can be used properly than being told by the state," he said.

Burris-Floyd said one of her immediate priorities is the fate of the state prisons located in Cleveland and Gaston counties. Because of the ongoing budget concerns, the state is considering closing one of the prisons to reduce costs.

"The impact is that you lose so many jobs, and we are already in double-digit unemployment in both of my counties now," she said.

All three of the rookies were settling into their permanent offices in early February and getting used to the routines of Raleigh. The abrupt change in their lives, however, was not easy. Guice and Burris-Floyd will at least be able to see some familiar faces while they are in session.

Guice brought his wife, Kerry, with him to serve as his legislative assistant. Burris-Floyd is closer to her daughter, Jessica, who is in her first year of law school at N.C. Central University in Durham.

Sager served two four-year terms on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners before he was recruited to run for the spot being vacated by former Rep. Louis Pate, who had decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by long-time state Sen. John Kerr. Sager said he is still getting used to being apart from his wife of 55 years. Deloris supported his decision to run, but not without a catch.

"I promised her that as soon as the session is over, we would take a trip to the N.C. mountains," he said.

As fate would have it, she is interested in visiting Brevard, which is Guice's hometown.

"He is already giving me some ideas about some places to stay," Sager said.