Fresno County residents rely on their elected leaders to address the issues facing our county and region including sustainable growth, high unemployment, air and water quality, transportation, and public safety services. Fresno has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The county, now more than ever, is intertwined economically and environmentally with 15 expanding Fresno County cities and a multi-county Valley region. As municipal services expand, however, cities and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors often provide overlapping, inefficient services which burden taxpayers with higher costs for the duplicated services. Facing millions of dollars in expenses it cannot pay for, cutting services, and with no vision/direction for the future, the five-member elected Board of Supervisors operating with a powerless appointed county administrator is simply incapable of meeting the challenges of the 21st Century.
Fresno County needs a more effective governance structure. The Fresno City Council twice initiated legislation to establish a citizen commission to investigate improving city-county services in Fresno County. The Board of Supervisors rejected the legislation. (As the primary proponent of the citizen commission while on the City Council, I took the request to a regular session of the Board of Supervisors. Then Supervisor Juan Arambula went so far as to characterize the proposal as "a stupid idea.") We cannot afford to wait until the supervisors are ready to investigate solutions to the problems our county is facing. A thorough evaluation of County of Fresno governance and delivery of services is needed.
A Commission on Effectiveness and Efficiency in Local Government should be charged with conducting a comprehensive study of the services provided by the Board of Supervisors with the goal of improving the delivery, quality, and efficiency of these services. The commission would be responsible for ensuring the feasibility of recommendations and for producing a plan that has a reasonable prospect for adoption by Fresno County municipalities, the Board of Supervisors, and ultimately, the citizens of Fresno County.
The commission should operate under as few constraints as possible, be broadly represented with strong, active leadership, and be linked to local government in Fresno County. The task of the commission would be to engage itself in a process of comparing the current Board of Supervisors governance system to relevant state and national models for enhancing local government.
A recommended starting point for an excellent governance model is the elected county executive utilized by Kings County (Seattle area), Washington and numerous other progressive counties. Just as the elected City of Fresno mayor provides checks and balances to the city council, an elected county executive would be a counterbalance to the supervisors; would work closely with the 15 cities in Fresno County; and, finally, would provide much needed leadership at the regional, state and federal level.
A number of years ago Fresno citizens asked for and got (thanks in large part due to the efforts of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce) major changes to the City Charter to include a strong mayor form of government, term limits and other governance modifications that have significantly improved services to city residents. It is time for citizens of Fresno County to establish this commission to bring about needed change to the governance methods of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Coming Soon...
1. Where are our private sector leaders?
2. Public transportation and the tyranny of the cell phone abuser.
3. "Choice" for parents and students in our local schools.
Comments are welcome. Click on "Comments" below or e-mail abriancalhoun@gmail.com.
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