Is it time for the chairman to be elected?

Since Monday's vote by the Escambia County (Ala.) Commission to name Karean Reynolds as the new chairman replacing Raymond Wiggins, who has served as the chairman for the past four years, we've been asked the question about how the commission chairman is selected.

There was a time when the commission chairman ran for that spot in a county-wide election. There was also a time when each commissioner had to run county-wide for his respective seat.

Devon Wiggins was the last county-wide elected chairman of the county commission and he left office in 1988.

Soon after, a local bill was passed by...