“What can one person do?”
One person, in union with enough others, can work wonders. For example, we hear the lament about elected officials, not only at the national or State level but at the local/county level as well , not being responsive to their constituents, the people whom they are supposed to represent.
You can change that -- simply by articulating what you expect of your elected representative, and then measuring his/her performance while in office in terms of how well (or poorly) he or she lived up to those expectations. One person alone may not make much of a difference, but as the Tea Party movement is proving daily, enough people acting in concert can. And everything you need on how to articulate your expectations and measure your local/county representative(s)’ performance is contained or outlined in the pages below. You may need to change the titles and the specific issues to comport with your community’s specific scenario, but the framework is there for you to modify and adapt as necessary…
December , 2010
Mr/Mrs/Ms
c/o County Office Building
Westminster, MD 21157
Dear :
Congratulations! You have been elected a member of the Board of Commissioners, to represent us, your constituents in District . Campaigning being what it is these days, there wasn’t adequate opportunity to meet personally with you and/or your staff to discuss why the electorate should choose you, and what we expect of you and the Board during your term in office.
Campaign promises are now part of the past; performance is what matters. That’s why we, a focused group of your constituents, are providing the enclosed Pledge/Commitment for your perusal and guidance – and execution. It lists, in brief, some of the major areas which we feel require the attention of you and the Board in this upcoming term. It represents the distillation and synthesis of many months of input from citizens across the county regarding some of the more pressing and important issues with which we will task you and your fellow Board members – and against which we will measure both your efforts and your progress during this term.
Back here “at home,” a dedicated group of us, your constituents, will monitor and assess whether and how you and your Board colleagues address and move to resolve these issues. That monitoring and assessment will affect both how we view your performance, and whether that performance merits your receiving our support regarding another term. It should come as no surprise that each and every member of this incoming Board will be viewed by the voting public as “on probation” -- regardless of prior service or past performance. The county’s needs are too great to ignore, and it’s imperative that this incoming Board begin immediately the process of recognizing and advancing the County’s needs and maintaining both its fiscal integrity and its sovereignty, as outlined in the enclosed Pledge.
FYI, our names, addresses, and contact information are provided on the reverse of this cover letter. There may be some areas in the enclosure about which you may have questions or reservations; we invite your response. There may be some areas on which you disagree; we will note that – and monitor and assess regardless. You may choose not to respond; we will note that as well, and monitor and assess anyway. As noted above, our County’s needs are too great and too pressing to allow for delay, denial, or refusal to act both to preserve our heritage and to work toward building the kind of future that is consistent with (and operates strictly within) our national and State Constitutions and lives up to the Declaration of Independence and its ideals.
This transition from a three-member Countywide Board to a five-member Board with each member representing a newly-created election district will be quite challenging. That all five members are “first-timers” is also challenging. Yet neither of those factors can be allowed to detract from the Board’s fundamental mission. Clearly, this will be a difficult period – and we stand ready to work with you and the Board to assist in any way we can to bring the needs, goals, and objectives identified in the Pledge/Commitment to fruition.
Please direct your response and all subsequent correspondence to our monitoring group coordinator:
Mr/Mrs/MS
XXXX Main Street
Everywhere, USA, XXXXX.
Thank you, and may God bless your efforts.
Monitoring/Assessment Group for County Commissioner
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Carroll County Commissioner Commitment/Pledge to Constituents
As a member of the Board of Commissioners for Carroll County, I recognize and affirm the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution, and under it the Maryland Constitution, as the law of the State of Maryland, from which any lower jurisdictions’ constitutions, charters, compacts, etc., and all officeholders therein, derive their delegated legitimacy and authority, and I recognize the scope and limitations of that delegated legitimacy and authority. Therefore, I make this commitment:
1: I will not violate the servant-leader trust placed in me by my constituents.
2: I will preserve, protect and defend every Carroll Countian’s unalienable rights under these Constitutions.
3: I will cherish and defend these Constitutions as the law of the land and of Maryland, and the common standard against which all legislative, statutory, executive, and/or judicial actions must be measured and evaluated.
4: I will actively oppose any government action which diminishes or abolishes anyone’s Constitutional rights, whether at the federal or the State or lower level, including both 9th and 10th Amendment Constitutional rights.
5: I will work unceasingly to restore stability and soundness to the national, State, and local economy, and reject
anything less than full legislative funding for any government program, grant or initiative, at whatever level.
6: I will work to ensure that our teachers and schools are consistently in the top 10% of Maryland, and nationally.
7: I will work to build our County’s manufacturing base, thereby both giving property tax relief to property owners, and making Carroll County more inviting to all homeowners and to legitimate business enterprises.
8: I will work toward maintaining all necessary public services at the most cost-effective level. This is to include not only County employees, but contracted goods and services, as well.
9: I will work toward regularizing the County’s policing and law enforcement activities under the existing Sheriff’s Office, coordinating with State Police and local Police Departments, as the primary entity in this vital area.
10: I will work toward making all County employee retirement plans operate on a defined contribution, not a defined benefit basis, predicated on a formula of the individual’s length of service times a percentage of his/her average annual salary -- not salary plus overtime or other factors.
11: I will work toward ensuring the viability, short- and long-term cost-effectiveness, and economic and health benefits to be derived from the proposed bi-County waste-to-energy incinerator. If those promises cannot be realized, I will not approve its construction.
12: Growth is inevitable – but uncontrolled growth is not acceptable. I will work toward ensuring that all growth in the County will reflect a proper balance among valid competing interests, i.e., residential, business, manufacturing, agricultural, etc. – preserve our agricultural heritage while incorporating the other necessary functions so vital to the County’s short- and long-term growth, economic well-being, and overall livability.
13: I will work to ensure that Civics and a firm understanding of our republic’s constitutional principles are integral to, and taught in, our County school system.
At its founding, this nation consisted of 13 States; today, I make 13 pledges. They apply to some of the most pressing issues now threatening our nation and its survival, and our State and its future. To these and all other issues affecting the rights, protections, and needs of my constituents, and of the future of my State and country, I will bend my efforts, fairly and honestly, to the best of my ability. If I fail to live up to these commitments, or if I violate the trust placed in me, replace me.
As a citizen, I pledge allegiance to The Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And as an officeholder, I also pledge to preserve, protect and defend this State, this Nation, our Flag, and our Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Commissioner Name Date
Of more than passing interest is that this new Board of Commissioners has initiated its “Ten Governing Principles,” as follows:
• Smaller, Constitutional Government: As a matter of principle, this Board of County Commissioners believes our citizens want smaller, less intrusive government; will restructure it accordingly; and encourage private sector solutions and/or partnerships to fulfill community needs whenever possible.
• Mandates: This Board of County Commissioners will work with our State Delegation and the local cities and towns to resist unfunded mandates; excessive regulation; and the passing on of additional expenses from the federal or state government.
• Term Limits: This Board of County Commissioners believes it is in the public interest to have fresh governance from time to time, and will petition the MD Delegation to limit County Commissioners, and appointed board and commission members to a maximum of two consecutive terms. Additionally, it is our intention to elect Board of Commissioner officers on an annual basis.
• Property Taxes: This Board of County Commissioners believes property taxes are too high, and will make every effort to lower taxes by reducing spending, and making government operate in a more restrained and efficient manner.
• Economic development: This Board of County Commissioners will support small business development consistent with the rural and suburban fabric of our communities. This Board will streamline approval processes; eliminate unnecessary regulation; and promote a business friendly climate for small and locally owned businesses.
• Affirmation of Our Values: This Board of County Commissioners will open its meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer.
• Protection of Individual Property Rights: This Board believes our citizens have an unalienable right to be secure in their homes, farms and businesses; and will oppose rezoning of privately owned property against the wishes of its owner(s). Protection of property rights will be a goal of this Board in County planning and lawmaking.
• Capital Expenditures: This Board will require industrial strength financial reviews on all future capital expenditures, including close scrutiny of all assumptions; rigorous life cycle cost projections; and early evaluation of feasible alternatives.
• Straight Talk & Citizen Participation: This Board of County Commissioners will avoid the use of acronyms, and will converse with our constituents in plain English. Additionally, this Board will promote better communication with citizens by scheduling key hearings on evenings or weekends, and provide increased opportunity for two-way dialogue at our public hearings.
• Servant Leadership: This Board of County Commissioners will lead by example, and discontinue the practice of accepting per diem payments; cars; and other such perks. We will restructure the Commissioners office appropriately as well.
All in all, not a bad start, and we’ll see how things go.
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