As a relatively free people, we have responsibilities that those who live elsewhere do not share. Since we are citizens and not subjects, we do not turn to the government to ask what we may do; rather, the government turns to us to ask what it may do. Our government is structured that way, particularly on the local level. Some examples include county governments, municipal governments and school districts.
Here is how they work: Administrators, managers and superintendents are hired to run organizations that serve the citizenry by performing specific missions. They are often kept in check by governing boards, which are kept in check by the voters. The administrators are professionals hired to do a job, much like plumbers. To keep them on task, governing boards have hiring and firing authority over them. The governing boards are elected, thereby the citizens have hiring and firing authority over them. Thus, a chain of command.
Does this system always work? Yes, it always works in the sense that the citizenry gets what it collectively deserves.
For example, take the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), a government entity with a mission, a superintendent and a governing board elected by the citizenry. For years the controlling board majority has displayed a lack of seriousness, lack of professionalism, and an unwillingness to address serious problems in the district — the board majority more often colluding with the superintendent than monitoring him. The last election saw the replacement of Cam Juarez with Rachael Sedgwick, changing the board majority. The new board majority and the old majority seem to be at war with each other now.
Specifics of the district’s shortcomings is a presentation for another time, but occasionally we see an anecdote that reveals character. Recently, board member Mark Stegeman received a message from board President Michael Hicks that Superintendent H.T. Sanchez wished to meet with him. Stegeman contacted Sanchez to confirm and arrange a time and place. When Stegeman showed up for the meeting, he was ambushed in the parking lot by board members Adelita Grijalva and Kristel Foster, armed with a television news crew, accusing Stegeman of an imagined open meeting law violation. Sanchez never appeared. This stunt should be reason enough to fire Sanchez, in my opinion.
Pima County also has a governing board that has failed in its oversight duties and, in the view of many, acts as a rubber stamp for county administrator Chuck Huckelberry. The county board majority and Mr. Huckelberry entertain themselves by poking sticks at board member Ally Miller. One incident in particular is revealing regarding the character of the board majority and administrator. During one meeting, the majority voted to take $872,000 in road improvement funds from Miller’s district and send them to Colossal Cave Road in Vail as a punishment. Huckelberry and the board majority laughed about it openly in front of Miller and the audience after the vote was taken. Miller’s crime was taking her supervisor job seriously. You might say that Ally Miller is the “Mark Stegeman” of Pima County government.
The last election cycle saw a change in the governing boards of both TUSD and Pima County. TUSD saw a change in the board majority which may have a profound effect on the district. The change of one seat on the Pima County board did not change the majority, but at least Miller may now receive a second to her motions and there will actually be some discussion.
The citizenry is starting to pay attention and fulfill its responsibility. The administrators are subject to their respective boards, the boards are subject to the citizenry, the citizenry is a free and responsible people subject to no one.
