News-Record.com

Guilford County commissioners elected Democrat Skip Alston chairman and Republican Steve Arnold vice chairman today.

Or, as Alston put it, one guy way out in left field and another way out in right. So they'll meet in center.

Maybe. Sometimes players -- particularly veteran players like Alston and Arnold -- are too set in their ways to shift positions.

Yet, this time, the two worked out a deal to arrive at today's leadership conclusion. Arnold, a fiscal conservative, wants budget reform next year, including a department-by-department examination of potential spending reductions. Alston says he supports that approach, even using an old Howard Coble term in stating that commissioners will take a sharp pencil to next year's budget.

We'll see.

In political terms, although Dems have a 7-4 majority on the board, Alston needed Republican support to win the chairmanship. He got it by backing Arnold for vice chairman.

Democrat Kay Cashion also was nominated for the top spot but lost in the initial vote.

Then Alston was chosen by a 7-4 margin, with Democrats Cashion, Paul Gibson and John Parks and Republican Billy Yow opposing. After the vote, Parks switched, giving Alston a final official tally of 8-3.

Republicans Arnold, Linda Shaw and Mike Winstead joined Democrats Bruce Davis, Kirk Perkins, Carolyn Coleman and Alston himself for Alston.

Arnold was the only commissioner nominated for vice chairman and was elected 9-2. Perkins and Gibson opposed.

It should be an interesting year, but it won't be a successful one unless there's some activity out in center field.