TRRG – July 7, 2020
TRRG MEMBER ALERT
from Ruth Beeker
A late addition to the Mayor/Council Consent Agenda for July 7, 2020 caught my attention: Item 7 K, an ordinance establishing the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development. To read the documents go to: https://tucsonaz.onbaseonline.com/1801AgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1411&doctype=1. Click on item 7K and documents will appear on the right. The Mayor and Council Communication dated July 7, 2020 has the pertinent language.
The following is a Call-to-Audience which I sent to the City Clerk for distribution to Mayor and Council this morning.
Subject: C-T-A; Oppose Consent Agenda Item 7K--Establishing CEHD
November 2015, Mayor/Council (M/C) directed the City Manager to form a Boards, Committees & Commissions (BCC) Study Group, including Tucson Residents for Responsive Government (TRRG) as members. As chair of TRRG at that time, I participated, doing an in-depth study of existing BCCs. I found there were multiple ways by which BCC members were appointed.
I did not find any BCCs which required TWO Mayor/Council members to agree to submit any applicant to the entire Council for approval.
I find this unique means of appointment proposed for the 7 voting members of the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development (CEHD) to be unacceptable. In Tucson, we elect 6 Council members, each to represent a Ward. it is how we ensure representation of our area's diversity. That for this commission it is mandated that individual Council members can not submit a name of a potential commissioner to Mayor/Council for consideration sets a precedence which dilutes the autonomy of each of our elected council members.
I urge you to remove Item 7K from the Consent Agenda for reconsideration of how voting members of CEHD will be appointed.
Ruth Beeker
Why am I concerned?
-
There are no limits as to how many applicants any one pair of Mayor/Council members may submit for approval.
-
There are no provisions for each Council member to submit an applicant for approval. It is possible that 3 Council members could be completely shut out of having any applicant of their choosing on this Commission. (2 people submit the names for Approval--2 others consistently vote with them for a majority vote of 4) That means that we, as residents of those 3 wards, will have lost our representation.
If you do not want to see this selection process used for Boards, Committees & Commissions voting members, please let your Mayor and Council know before Tuesday, July 7, 2020 noon (tomorrow!)
Ruth Beeker
TRRG Board Member
|
