Boards and Commissions - How Don't They Work? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For the most part Public Boards and Commissions don't work. The reason Public Boards and Commissions don't work are the same as why our democratic republic has not been working lately. In simplistic terms, our democracy does not provide enough oversight and does not hold public figures accountable. Yes, we become very indignant about outright stealing, but short of that we allow appointees and executive staff a free reign to do as they please right up to the prison door.
Commissioner Hood Richardson manifests his concern as a Beaufort County Commissioner in July, 2004: Above.     photo by Stan Deatherage
    Look around at the numbers of people who have misused their positions and gone to prison and those who have resigned in disgrace. Consider how many boards and commissions are required to take ethics training. How many have even a basic understanding of the Constitution? We have lost our way in appointing members who will educate themselves as to what their particular board or commission is required to do. A great many members are clueless other than to do what their executive director requests. Some say they are there to protect the staff and back up the director. This is incompetence on a grand scale.

    As many as 90 percent of the appointees, after years of service, do not understand their job is to protect the public from the abuse of the director and the hired help. It is their job to see that all staff do their duty, keep appropriate records and follow the intent and instruction of the enabling legislation for that particular board or commission.

    Those who appoint boards and commissions have a responsibility to appoint individuals who bring skills in finance, business, government, honesty to these public bodies. Qualifications and character do count.

    Several boards and commissions have gone far beyond their enabling authority. Members of these boards and commissions spend most of their time justifying their mistakes and finding ways to get around regulations. Some of these are the Economic Development Council, the Board of Health and the old Hospital Board that lost the hospital to UHS. Weak boards of uninformed and uncommitted people who simply "want to do good" are a disaster for the public welfare.

    The qualifications, experience, skill and ability of appointees is of prime importance. Appointing authorities have a responsibility to appoint competent and especially honest individuals to boards and commissions. Those making appointments do not have to be 100 percent right, they do need to e 51 percent right. Just as the sudden resignation of a chief financial officer (CFO) or board members in corporations is a strong hint there may be problems, the same is true on public boards and commissions. Also the appointment of people who have few skills and little training (the good buddy) to boards and commissions is the public's clue that if something is not wrong it soon will be.

    The public should take an interest in all boards and commissions and not hesitate to hold members accountable for bad, incomplete, unethical and illegal decisions. Do not hesitate to call members of boards and commissions and challenge any decisions they have made. Simply because someone says it is so does not mean it is so. After all, they are spending your money.

    If members of the Economic Develop Commission understood their duties we would not have the millions of county money and potential loss they have brought on us. If the Hospital Board had done its job we would own the hospital and be 50 million dollars to the good. If the Board of Health understood the difference between public health and welfare we would not have a developing liability in that department.