Priorities for a Stronger Board
A few weeks ago, I posted about my candidacy for Chair next year, committing to an open agenda for all commissioners, weekly updates to the full Board, and robust communication tools to ensure timely, complete information on upcoming items and background materials.
Below are additional twelve priorities I’d pursue in partnership with the Board and Staff:
TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Commissioner Expenses
Propose having the Board approve our own expenses in Finance, much as we do for our mileage. This would help ensure greater transparency and accountability. There currently is no set policy on approval of commissioner expenses, which has led to a practice of the administrator approving commissioner expenses, which I believe to be an unhealthy inversion of roles.
Line-Item Budget Access
Propose that every commissioner has real-time, read-only access to the county’s budgeting system. This would enable better tracking of allocations, spending, encumbrances, and balances, as well as early identification of trends.
Agenda Release by Thursday 9 AM
Propose requiring the full draft agenda—with all commissioner items, staff reports, and backup links—posted online no later than 9 AM Thursday for the following week’s meeting(s). This gives the public and commissioners 5–6 full days to review.
EFFICIENCY & COLLEGIALITY
Board Committee and Commission Assignments
Keep every commissioner’s existing committee seats on Planning, Finance, and Assignment, as well as maintain Board assignments on our boards and commissions exactly as-is. Allow each committee to pick its own chair and vice chair.
Two Vice Chairs
Propose having two equal vice chairs. This would strengthen Board leadership, ensures continuity, and promotes inclusivity without adding cost or complexity.
Return to Two Meetings Per Month
Propose shifting from once-a-month meetings back to two meetings. I believe this will increase our capacity for action as well as give staff and commissioners time to prepare quality materials.
Appoint a Dedicated Parliamentarian
Propose designating a professional parliamentarian to advise on Robert’s Rules during meetings via Zoom. They would rule on procedural disputes in real-time and ensure fair speaker recognition and motion handling by taking those measures out of the Chair’s discretion.
GOVERNANCE
Dedicated “Commissioner Discussion Items” Agenda Section
Propose a permanent agenda item titled “Commissioner Discussion Items” to allow any member to introduce topics for open dialogue without requiring formal agenda amendments, thereby encouraging responses to emerging issues while preserving orderly meetings.
Quarterly Work Sessions
Propose one meeting per quarter dedicated to deep dives on major issues—no votes, just Q&A with experts. Any commissioner can propose topics.
Annual Board-Led Policy Review
Propose that the Board conduct a comprehensive review of all policies governing its operations once per calendar year, with the process distributed evenly across the full 12 months to ensure thoroughness and ongoing relevance.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Annual Resident Survey
Propose substituting our traditional and relatively costly biennial Epic-MRA poll for a simple 5-question digital survey every August:
Top priority for the county
Rate Board accessibility
One thing we’re doing well
One thing to improve
Open comment
Online Public Comment Portal
Propose reestablishing a secure, county-hosted online portal for public comments, accessible via a prominent link on the county website and fully viewable by the public.
