Does your Board have a set of expectations for each other? Expectations that all have agreed to be held accountable for, and to hold each other accountable? If not, it may be time to consider a workshop to gain the buy-in of each member. Think of this as agreed upon rules of engagement that you can publish or otherwise memorialize in some fashion and point to if you ever find yourselves going astray.
It is really hard to be held accountable or hold anyone else in the organization accountable if you haven’t defined what the unique roles are. Does the Chairman have duties outside of running effective meetings? What about the Clerk, Treasurer, Trustee’s, Manager, Department Heads, etc.? Do not try to hold someone accountable for their actions if their role and responsibilities are not clearly defined, or if they haven’t been given the authority to act.
As the Manager of a fast growing municipality, I know all to well the pitfalls of having a group of Trustee’s interfere with operational issues, and then claim it must be the Managers failure when their violations and intentional interference inevitably cause harm. Failure to define, and then ensure compliance with expectations regarding roles and responsibilities, can lead to costly litigation and other liabilities with severe negative consequences for the community we took an oath to serve.
Even the best intentioned official can wander unwittingly into an issue that is outside the scope of their authority and/or responsibility. You simply cannot hold someone accountable if you or your Board routinely creates confusion or causes blurred lines of authority to exist.
Here is a bold statement: You were not elected because anyone thought you were an expert in local government operations! Public Finance, Public Works, Police and Fire Department Operations, Tax Collection, Property Assessment, Building Codes, IT Security, Election Administration, Planning and Zoning, Human Resources and Labor Law, and Municipal Law are very complex and specialized vocations. You were elected because your friends and neighbors trusted that you would See To It that the right people were in place.
Invest in a workshop to clearly define everyones role, and make sure that everyone abides by the groups expectations. Hold each other accountable. This should not be confrontational, rather a gentle reminder of your agreed upon expectations and rules of engagement. The voters, staff, and fellow officials will all appreciate the vision and direction provided. Just one more indication that you are a part of a Board That Matters!