Should Boards Be Evaluated?

Editorial Comment

A volunteer board for such governmental entities as Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Fire, Water and Sewer Districts, Planning and Zoning and others is a great thing.  Volunteers from the community oversee the budget, expenditures and policies of the entity and should be supportive and respectful of the professional staff while seeing that the community needs are met.

But what happens if a board starts to micro manage the staff, interfere with the work being done or does not study the rules of the organization nor read the minutes or reports, or if members consistently do not attend?  What responsibility does the community have to evaluate the performance of the board if board actions are actually impeding the work that needs to be done. 

As reporters, we go to all the meetings and get a feel for well functioning boards and staff, we can also tell when boards overstep their boundaries and begin to harass or impede full functioning of a unit.  When this happens, we can lose good staff.  I have been told that many of the boards do not have "operating instructions" on what exactly they should be responsible for.  Most of the boards are made up of people of good will, so they function well.  But what happens if personal agendas threaten the very organization the board should oversee?

Should volunteer boards be monitored or evaluated?  We have heard rumblings in the community but no one yet has put forward a solution.  This is your chance.  Write to rctonline@gmail with your suggestions.  We will keep your comments anonymous.