It has been a bold experiment, to be sure - heady days of one-party governance in a system that, by all appearances, has been constructed to excise scrutiny, reward well-connected friends, and suppress discussion and dissent.

Behind the scenes of it all, many say, is Republican county chair Steve Minarik, made manifest publicly in an affable prodigy, County Executive Maggie Brooks.

Under Minarik-Doyle and now Minarik-Brooks, checks and balances have evaporated. The County Legislature, with its longtime Republican majority, seems to exist solely as a rubber stamp - a one-note instrument of the Minarik-Brooks will. Perfectly good ideas are shot down before they receive full consideration, all because they come from the "wrong" party. Democrats are dismissed as "part of the problem" - a Brooks statement following the Republican-majority passage of her FAIR Plan. Nearly 156,000 county residents - registered Democrats accounting for 37 percent of eligible voters, outnumbering Republicans, by the way - are part of the problem? The rare Republican who does speak out is punished. Obedient Republicans are rewarded with plum government jobs or the promise of the GOP's considerable resources for future runs.

That can change.

Democrats need only win three seats - and hold onto the 12 they already have - to take back the Lej next year.

This is about more than ideology. There are good people who'd make fine public servants running on both sides. We know. We talked to all who'd grant us the time. This election is about taking back what's ours - representative democracy. The Democrats say making the Water Authority part of the county will make money. Maybe it would, maybe it won't. Let's hash it out. Maggie's got a big idea to bridge a budget gap? Great. Let's talk about it - on the floor of the Lej, in public forums. Let's not ram through legislation with incalculable repercussions with barely an hour lapsing from introduction to passage.

Democrats have ideas. They want to move the county budget deadline back to October - before elections. They talk about televising Lej meetings, streamlining the FOIL process, improving oversight and accountability for public authorities and local development corporations. What chance do any of the above and more have of discussion, much less implementation? None. And that won't change until the Minarik stranglehold is broken.

We deserve better.

For too long, county government has operated in the shadows. Big decisions are made with little, and sometimes no, input from the public or even other elected representatives.

Members of the Legislature's Republican majority have played a role in closing off government. They shifted the budget presentation date until after elections. They stifle discussion through procedural objections. As a matter of course, they block Democratic proposals, often in committee and sometimes before they even reach that step. Such has been the fate of some of the Democrats' most ambitious recent proposals. Referrals in the party's Green Agenda - a collection of proposals dealing with things like energy consumption and purchasing supplies - were never even discussed.

It's frustrating for Democrats, for sure. But more important, partisan politics are a disservice to the public.

A Democratic majority would open up county government by default - a Republican administration and Democratic legislature aren't always going to see eye-to- eye. Already, Democrats offer the only meaningful discussion of administration actions.

Democrats say they will consider all legislation, Republican or Democratic, on its own merits, and that open discussion will accompany all referrals. In interviews with City, they also said they will end partisanship.

Ted Nixon, who is running for the 10th District in East Rochester and Pittsford, says a "committee of 10" - five legislators from each party - should be formed to give both sides a chance to talk about issues and decide priorities.

If Democrats take the Legislature, they need to include Republicans in the process. No vendettas, no obstructing the administration just to obstruct the administration. Democrats need to be held to their own promises that they'll play fair and it's up to the media and the voting public to make sure that happens.

It's worth noting, too, that two Republican newcomers, Peter Kelderhouse in District 16 and Christopher Parris in the 27th District, believe that it's important for both parties' ideas to receive consideration. Both say they're not afraid to break party ranks.

There's another issue obscuring government from the public eye: the myriad authorities and local development corporations established over several county administrations. Democrats have repeatedly called for more oversight of agencies like COMIDA - the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency - and the Main and Clinton Development Corporation. The latter oversees one of the largest public-works projects in county history, Renaissance Square. Republicans, by and large, have not called for such oversight. (Kelderhouse says lawmakers need to pay more attention to these agencies. Parris, too, says they should be watched.)

COMIDA is often criticized for not giving taxpayers enough return on their investment. Businesses don't create promised jobs but still cash in on benefits, critics say. The agency does not regularly report back to the Legislature and lawmakers do not have any say in which companies receive incentives, unless it's a low-interest bond.

And as for Renaissance Square, there are many questions that beg answering. Who will operate the performing arts center? Who will cover any operating losses? How much is the project going to cost? And what will it ultimately include?

Democrats have also proposed abolishing the Monroe County Water Authority and making it a county department. That idea has met resistance from Republicans. We're not sold on Democrats' claims that a water department would generate revenue for the county. But it would make the operation directly accountable to the administration and legislators. Democrats say that's important, given recent scandals at the authority. The Water Authority's board is supposed to have representatives from at least two political parties. Right now, board members are Republican or Conservative. Democrats say their party deserves an appointment to the board, too.

Monroe County has many issues that need addressing in an open, collaborative manner, but one stands out above all.

MonroeCounty's persistent deficit was not created overnight. The Blue Ribbon Commission convened in 2002 by then-County Executive Jack Doyle said that it is the fault of "several administrations and Legislatures occurring over the better part of a decade."

But throughout County Executive Maggie Brooks' first term, which began in 2003, the Legislature's majority has done little to fix the problem. Some cost-saving measures were included in budgets Republican legislators backed - the consolidation of some fleet-maintenance operations, for example. They approved other efficiencies, as well, such as installing energy-efficient light ballasts in the recycling center. While those were good ideas, they didn't come close to plugging the gap.

At the same time, cost-cutting ideas from the Democratic minority were either dismissed or ignored. While those ideas - restructuring the way the sheriff's office road patrol is paid for, reducing the size of the County Legislature, negotiating a yearly payment from the Monroe County Water Authority - likely wouldn't close the gap, they could have made a dent. And they should have received honest consideration.

Ultimately, the Legislature majority's role has been one of concession to the county executive. Brooks continued the practice of freezing the property tax rate - unlike former executive Jack Doyle, however, she let the levy increase -  and raising money through one-shot revenues, like tobacco-settlement funds or proceeds from the sale of county property.

But expenses continued to outstrip revenues, and the county's repeated failure to restore a structural balance caused its credit ratings to slowly drop, which raises borrowing costs. It now sits a couple of notches above junk-bond status.

Brooks last month pushed forward a plan to close the gap for the long term. (In government speak, that's about five to 10 years.) The county will give part of its sales- tax money to the state and, in turn, the state will pay the county's Medicaid costs. Her plan also cuts the sales-tax revenue given to school districts by 50 percent, creates a charge-back system for the county's share of MCC costs, implements a new vehicle registration fee, and drops the county property tax rate by 11 cents.

The Democrats say that the plan simply shifts the burden to school taxpayers and that a better solution could have been found if Republicans, Democrats and the community worked together. The plan raises fees, too, and that affects everyone in the county.

Democrats do have some ideas for cutting costs, including further consolidation and streamlining. Several of the party's candidates also want the county to establish a reserve fund to pay cash for smaller projects, instead of bonding. Bonding costs money because the county has to pay interest on the borrowing.

And let's face it, county officials may say they have solved the budget problem for the long term, but fiscal problems could conceivably come up again. There will be future shortfalls, crunches, or urgent needs. And Democrats and Republicans really do need to learn to work together to solve these problems.

If Democrats do take over the Legislature in November, they can't let their promises slide. After all, they campaigned on an open, honest, and accessible government. That's exactly what citizens deserve, no matter which party is in charge. And that's exactly what they should get. In interviews, Democrats promised a more open government: more discussion, more public participation, and more ideas brought to the floor. They've promised to involve their Republican colleagues and to give all proposals a fair chance. Is it possible they could change their minds and retaliate against the GOP after so many years of repression? Sure, it's possible. But here's what we know: if the Republicans keep the Lej, nothing changes. That's unacceptable. That's why we're supporting a shift in the Legislature's majority, and that's why voters should, too.

Grading Maggie (a report card for County Executive Maggie Brooks)

Subject: Intergovernmental Relations

Teacher's comments:

Maggie started off well, rebuilding good will after the disastrous Doyle administration. FAIR sledgehammer a big step back. But at least they'll return your calls.

Grade: F (But a C before FAIR)

Subject: Open Government

Teacher's comments:

Oh, you wanted to see the budget before the election? Stomped debate and dissent. Increased use of minimally-accountable authorities and LDC's. Tsk-tsk. See teacher after class.

Grade: F

Subject: Taxes & Fiscal Management

Teacher's comments:

Letting the tax levy increase was a good move. Even critics say finance team is top-notch. Down side: deficit ballooned under her watch - at least until FAIR. Long-term effects? We'll see. Democratic cost-saving ideas summarily dismissed.

Grade: B

Subject: Economic Development

Teacher's comments:

Plus: more cooperation with city and GRE. Minus: COMIDA still needs to be reigned in. Accused of economic development ADD by critics who say the department runs by "handshakes on golf courses."

Grade: C

Subject: Human Services

Teacher's comments:

Improving: High hopes for new commissioner Kelly Reed and big points for home lead inspections for kids on public assistance. Department still a mess, though. Long lines, harried workers and "culture of denial," critics say. Cut funding for funeral and burial of the indigent.

Grade: C

EXTRA CREDIT: Style points

Teacher's comments:

Camera-ready persona played to the hilt. Personality is her strength and she knows it. Shocking display in front of a Webster elementary school, where she showed up with podium and TV crews to claim schools are "addicted to taxes."

Relies too heavily on public-relations pushes after decisions are made, instead of involving people beforehand.

Grade: A for execution, F for substance