Administrative Analyst Postion

Yesterday we had a lengthy discussion about the new position being posted by the administrator. I had made a motion to require the administrator to bring that before us before filling it. That motion unfortunately failed 4-7.

I did have a number of questions regarding the position itself, but more importantly, I was and continue to be concerned with the seeming inversion of roles between the board and the administrator. The board is tasked with setting policy and providing strategic oversight, while the administrator’s role is to execute that policy and manage day-to-day operations—not to unilaterally take actions that expand administrative authority or commit resources without board approval. My motion was in large part meant to reaffirm this fundamental governance structure.

I remain concerned that this incident of not being willing to seek input on a position that supposedly is partially for the Board’s sake, nor being willing to seek approval from the Board before going through with filling it reflects a broader pattern—where operational decisions are being elevated to the level of policy-making without our input. I am concernend that if we continue to allow this inversion to continue, we will erode the very checks and balances that protect our organization’s integrity and push residents and taxpayers further away from control of the government that they pay to serve them.