Part I of this article left off with… We, the people, are offered wants and needs piecemeal and as though they are interchangeable. If we knew the County’s needs as a whole, WE could make better choices and relay those to the Commissioners. The County Commissioners could do a better job of keeping US informed by explaining the County from a 10,000 foot view. They are really the only ones who know what the left hand is doing. They attend meetings and events throughout the County ad nauseam. They have facts and figures and expert advice simply by request. They understand the difference between wants and needs. But, they need us to have what we want because We elect them.
Keeping US informed would not be an easy task. Foremost there are limited avenues available. There is the County website, of course. But most people don’t go to it. Commissioner Hetherington puts out a newsletter and Commissioner Ciampi has early morning breakfasts. Kudos to them for trying. But retirees and blue-collar workers are not likely to attend those breakfasts. Hetherington’s newsletter only goes as far as her email list.
If only there was some investigative reporting. There’s not. MCTA believes that professional writers could make even a banal county commission meeting interesting enough to read about. Then WE would know where our tax dollars are going. Special interests seem to call in the articles that newspapers print. Perhaps that’s why they are failing. So, citizens get “news” from social media which is dangerously irresponsible.
The Commissioners do need to ask more questions and better questions. They rely on staff too much. We don’t mean to infer that there is anything nefarious going on with staff. Oh, there might be a Post-It notepad in someone’s purse, but who can resist? MCTA has found the county staff to be accessible and honest as long as you know the questions to ask. Think of it, they have a job to do, and they want to do it to their best ability. They also want to keep their jobs and if they can expand their position, it’s job security. It’s human and reasonable. Commissioners need to press. Instead of asking if an item is making money and accepting a “yes”, they can press and ask if there are extenuating circumstances ie. Are there subsidies or indirect allocations propping up a potential boondoggle? At least 3 of the Commissioners have been there long enough to understand this. They need to meet more often with the County Comptroller. The Comptroller has loads of interesting information. She (Carolyn Timmann) is independent of the Commission and a valuable and objective resource.
Staff can be more forthcoming. We hope, and we have not witnessed otherwise, that staff feels uninhibited with their opinions and even advice to Commissioners. They are professionals as Commissioner Ciampi likes to point out. The Commissioners’ doors should always be open to them, rain or shine. Consider though, that it is their job to carry out the wishes of the Commissioners. It would only be human to put that responsibility before any, even welcome, constructive criticism.
* You do have us, the MCTA. We will continue to try to keep you informed. We have instituted an INSIGHTS series of events which will feature a prominent issue or speaker of importance to you, the taxpayer. And, of course, there is our monthly newsletter which will report on Commission meetings and other taxing authorities. To get invitations to the INSIGHTS events or to sign up for the newsletter go to www.mctaxpayers.org. Email us at mctaxpayers1950@gmail.com
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