Jameson County Government Info Thread

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Jameson County
Population: 13,467
Land: 491 sq. miles
Unemployment rate: 6.3%
Poverty: 23%
County Commission Deficit: $40,000
Board of Education Deficit: $120,000
Dropout rate: 17%
Demographics: 88% White, 9% Black, 3% Asian
Religion: 87% Christian(38% Baptist, 35% Methodist, 11% Catholic, 11% Pentecostal), 11% Other, 4% Non-Religious


Jameson County is home to 4 primary areas. The county is a standard "flyover" county with it's fair share of small town business.

In the north of the county, you'll find Pinkerton. Pinkerton is a rural community with a mostly farming based economy. Pinkerton is much less of a town and more of a spread out mess of people. However, there is an official township of Pinkerton which maintains some infrastructure in the county. The town council has struggled with the degradation of the town's sewer system. This leads to frequent Boil Water Advisories. Pinkerton Elementary is a small school with 20 staff. It serves approximately 100 students in grades K-6. Pinkerton is a very religious area with a number of churches dotting the landscape. One church, though, is Shepherd Baptist. Shepherd attracts 350 people on average for Sunday service, the largest Church in the county. Pinkerton has a community population of 3,900 people.

Below Pinkerton in central Jameson, you find Hensley, the county seat. Hensley is home to a medium sized town with 5,200 people. Businesses operate in downtown Hensley. Jameson General is also located in Hensley. People in Hensley are concerned about finding new businesses and creating new wealth. Controlling a little bit less than 40% of the county population, Hensley operates an effective city government that maintains city infrastructure. Hensley Elementary, 370 students grades K-4, and Hensley Middle, 440 students grades 5-8, are both located in Hensley. Despite the size of these schools, they receive a proportionally smaller cut of school spending. Three large churches operate within Hensley. A Methodist church, St. John's is home to  a normal Sunday crowd of 220 people. Competing on the other side of town is United Methodist Memorial Church. This church attracts a crowd of 200 on Sunday. They are known for their ability to raise money and collect offering due to the large number of wealthier families and business owners who attend. The second largest church in the county is the only Catholic Church, St. Peter Catholic Church. Catholics also operate a small private elementary school of 40 students. All of Jameson County's African American population lives in Hensley. The Lantern Bible Church of Hensley is a Baptist church dominated by the African American Community.

To the southeast of Hensley is Norma. Norma is home to 2,300 people. Norma is not an incorporated town or city. In Norma, there is a large chemical plant close to the border of the county. Many residents work in the chemical plant, which is owned by a Norma native. Norma Elementary-Middle School operates with about 300 kids in grades K-8. People from Norma are typically considered disconnected from the rest of Jameson County to their closeness to the other cities. Many don't shop in Hensley. Norma religious life is dominated by small churches dotting the landscape. Roads are theoretically maintained by a state-county partnership. Norma places much greater concern on infrastructure due to the large chemical trucks going to and from the plant.

The final community, southwest of Hensley, is Georgeville. George vile is populated by the remainder of the population. The community's economy relies heavily on agriculture and a small cluster of shops. Georgeville is the poorest part of the county. Students are divided between Norma school and Schools in Hensley. Georgeville has a very decentralized religious community. But it is home to all of Jameson County's growing Pentecostal population. People in Georgeville are very sheltered in terms of ability to travel, they're a long way from anything. Many prefer it this way.

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The Jameson County Commission is the county's governing body. There are 3 members that are elected by the county at large. There are districts established that have very little influence on the County Commission. District 1 is Pinkerton. District is the greater part of Hensley. District 3 is Georgeville and a part of Hensley. District 4 is Norma. The County Commission currently levies property taxes, an income tax on individuals, and an annual operating fee on businesses. These taxes are all relatively low. The County Commission is responsible for apportioning money for the board of education, which has some means of raising funds on it's own.

The County Commission is a partisan body. With 2 members currently Democrats and the third a Republican, Democrats currently get to select poll workers and place voting machines. Republicans draw a large amount of support from Norma, due to the county party's strong support of the chemical plant. Oftentimes, 60-70% of the Norma area vote Republican. Democrats in Jameson County are very populist, drawing there support from Pinkerton and Georgeville. The majorities are a consistent 55-58% of the vote in both of those areas. Hensley is evenly divided with Republicans drawing on the support of business owners and the Methodists. Catholics split evenly depending on the election. This has led to Hensley being the swing vote in county government.

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The Jameson Board of Education manages the schools in Jameson County. The board has 7 members that are elected to four year terms. Each district elects a member and then three members are voted on by the county at large. This leads to 4 seats being primarily controlled by the interests of specific areas of the county and three members responsible for brokering compromises.

The school board is very political in nature. Disputes over money and personnel decisions often characterize meetings. Hensley members have, for years, raised hell over the fact that Hensley schools have the most students and receive a smaller slice of the pie when compared to the rest of the county. Pinkerton parents are very protective of their elementary and demean Hensley schools at every chance they get. This generates tension when Pinkerton students go into the 7th grade and move to Hensley Middle. Norma is the frequent recipient of private contributions from the chemical plant, which provokes jealously from the rest of the county. Georgeville parents are divided between Norma School and Hensley Schools, which leads to a divide in their interests.

Jameson County High is a consolidated high school. Though the battle of reputations rages amongst the elementary and middle schools, it is widely recognized that Jameson High is failing. Despite this recognition, little is done to correct it due to the possible political repercussions. Pinkerton parents were angered when Jameson High was built on the border between Hensley and Norma. This created more of a travel time for Pinkerton students.

The Board faces a lot of financial trouble. Despite this, members continue to approve new hires in the county board office and plow money into buying new technology. Jameson County Schools are amassing debt very quickly, with an annual deficit over $100,000.

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The Pinkerton Town Council is the governing body of the Pinkerton township. There are 5 members that are elected by the entire town. There is also a mayor of Pinkerton. One year, two seats are up for election. Two years thereafter, two more seats are up. Two years after that, one seat on the council and the mayor are up for re-reelection. The Council is partisan. Democrats currently hold 4 seats on the Council. Republicans elected a mayor and a council member in one election. Pinkerton struggles to cover infrastructure costs. Pinkerton's water and sewage system are decaying alongside the generally ow quality of roads. Pinkerton town leaders have run a campaign to blame the county government for these failures.

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The Hensley City Council governs the county seat of Hensley. With over five thousand constituents, there are 7 council members. Members serve four year terms. The mayor is elected to a six year term. Hensley holds its city elections in August. This has led to low turnout races that have put 6 seats and the Mayor's Office in the hands of the Republican Party. Hensley business owners are strong supporters of the county Republican Party.

The Hensley City Council has a large enough tax base to cover all of the infrastructure costs the city needs. The Mayor is also the manager of the Business Development Fund which brings businesses into the city and encourages current Hensley businesses to grow. Hensley is operating a $12,000 surplus.

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Shepherd Baptist Church is the largest church in the county. It is located within walking distance of Pinkerton Elementary. The pastor there is the principal of Pinkerton Elementary and eleven other staff members attend Shepherd Baptist. A very large majority of Pinkerton students are also members of Shepherd Baptist. The political function of Shepherd Baptist is very large in Pinkerton. A majority of church members are populist Democrats and loyally support Democratic candidates. There is an overwhelming theme of "Pinkerton First" in the political chats after service.

St. John's Methodist Church is located in Hensley. It is very close to Hensley Middle, where most attendees send their kids. The church is well known for their soup kitchen and charitable activities within the community. The minister's wife runs a free preschool for church members three days a week from the church fellowship hall. The minister of St. John's is a retired funeral home director. He's a political moderate and his congregation frequently act as swing voters in local races.

United Methodist Memorial Church is near Jameson County High.  The church is home to the community's many business owners and upper middle class families. The church is known for being a very large contributor to Hensley Schools. They sponsor  youth group at both Hensley Middle and Jameson High. The vice-principal of Hensley Middle and their family are active members of the church. The church is dominated by the Republican Party. Many members of the church are active volunteers and supporters of local Republican candidates.

St. Peter Catholic Church is located in downtown Hensley. There is a sharp ideological divide between the church leadership, which is conservative, and elements of the congregation, which are moderate. This led to a recruitment effort on both sides. Moderates outnumber the conservatives by. Fair margin. The Catholic Church perform many charitable acts and operate St. Peter Elementary. This small private school is a major issue for members of the church. Many members have children enrolled in the school. Protecting the private school determines a lot of who wins the catholic vote in Jameson county.

The Lantern Bible Church of Hensley is an all-black church close to the Georgeville border. It is a very biblically literal Baptist church. This church receives all of Jameson County's black churchgoing citizens. The church is a Democratic stronghold with 92% of members voting for local Democrats. Many cast their ballots on populist grounds where Republicans represent business owners while the Democrats will fight for them.

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The Jameson Herald is a countywide newspaper that covers every area. Subscribers are a mile wide and deep enough to carry influence in every part of the county. The editorial page is known for it's reflections about life rather than opinion. The paper is widely regarded as a good source of news. There are 3,400 subscribers to the Herald. They also sell thousands of papers in business across the county.

The Hensley Record is a paper that covers the Hensley area. The Record has two editorial writers, one which favors the Democratic Party and one which favors the Republican Party. City officials use the Record as a means of speaking to constituents. The Record has 1,500 subscribers and sell copies in businesses.

In Norma, the Norma Caller is widely read. The Norma Caller is a hardened partisan publication. The editorial page consistently attacks Democratic officials in the county and works to undermine their proposals. Their reader base covers Norma, with 1,200 subscriptions in the area, and also encompasses eastern Georgeville. This leads to a total of 1,650 subscriptions.

The Farmer's Gazette is published in Pinkerton and derives a large subscriber base from there. There is also a very large online presence for the Farmer's Gazette. The readership is not able to be determined due to the online presence. Print subscribers account for 1,300 subscribers. They take a very pro-Democrat view of county politics. This is shown in their editorial page.

Jameson Local 92.8 is a radio station that caters to all interests. The station plays all kinds of music while also offering commentary on local sports games. The show "Call-In" is a one hour talk show between 5 o'clock and 6 o'clock. It is a discussion show focusing on local politics. The time means many people are listening to the show on their way home from work. The station has been know to have a slight Republican tilt, due to the chemical plant funding most of the station.

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Jameson General is the local hospital. It's located on the Pinkerton side of Hensley. The hospital is a major source of employment for people in both Pinkerton and in Hensley. Folks in Norma tend to go out of county for medical care. Jameson General has a board of directors that are all political figures, from both sides of the aisle. The CEO of the hospital is a big contributor in local campaigns to protect the interests of the hospital.

Jameson General's CEO also bought a significant share of the Jameson Herald newspaper. Many believe this was to further protect the interests of the hospital in local government.

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Father James Anselm Carbonaro is the current priest of St. Peter's. He is known to be a registered Republican and lives across the street from his church. Carbonaro, now 64 years old, is the son of Italian immigrants. The priest is known to be a staunch supporter of conservative theology. He disagrees often with the more liberal elements of the church. Despite the infighting, Father Carbonaro is good at bring the church together for charitable projects and running St. Peter Elementary.

Bob Eckhardt is a thirty-something year old reporter for the Jameson Herald. Bob is known for his unadulterated cynicism. A registered Democrat, Bob oftentimes chooses to attack Republicans in the Herald. He's a very divisive figure and rumors swirl that he doesn't believe in God. He is the local tobacco and liquor store's biggest customer.

Mel Darren is a native of Norma and owns the Caller. Mel, a 47 year old native of Norma, is married to Ann Darren. Together, they have two sons. Rumors swirl that Tom Darren may be a homosexual. Mel is a strong supporter of Jameson Republicans. He's a strong supporter of family values and business owners. With Norma being solid Republican territory, he frequently uses his position at the Norma Caller to lift their spirits. The Darren Family are longtime members of the United Methodist Memorial Church in Hensley. Ann's parents were wealthy individuals that passed a sizable inheritance to the Darren Family.

Betty Jo Sanders of Pinkerton is the owner and cook at "Betty Jo's Country Kitchen." The Kitchen is a popular hangout spot in Pinkerton, especially on Sundays after church. Betty Jo occasionally attends Shepherd  Baptist in Pinkerton. She is married to garner Mitchell Sanders. She grew up in a political household and developed strong opinions. The Farmer's Gazette frequently publishes her sharply worded opinions. She has three children under the age of ten and is an active member of the Pinkerton Elementary PTA.

James McCrimmon is the owner of Hensley Hardware and Mayor of Hensley. He attends St. Peter's Catholic Church every Sunday. His children attend St. Peter Elementary.  He takes a middle of the road stance when it comes to theological issues in the church. As a Republican, Mayor McCrimmon is a stalwart ally of small businesses. He is currently serving in his first term as mayor. He was elected on his record of service as a three-term city council member.

Bob Kirocki is an attorney from Georgeville. He has long been called the unofficial mayor of Georgeville. He is a registered Democrat and is active in civic life. He is a member of Calvary Church, a growing Pentecostal church.  He is responsible for handling divorces in the counties and also writes a majority of the wills.  He is an across the board populist with social views heavily influenced by his faith.