Editor’s Note: The following is the first installment in a series of articles holding school and city officials accountable to goals adopted by their organizations.
n By Tony Burchyns Staff Writer
Morgan Hill – Today the Morgan Hill Times launches its “Accountability in Community Leadership” Project to provide a running report card on local school and city officials’ goals for improving the agencies taxpayers have entrusted them with.
The project will track the progress on goals set by the Morgan Hill City Council, led by Mayor Steve Tate, and the Morgan Hill Unified School District, led by the seven school board trustees. Trustee Peter Mandel is the president of the school board for 2006-07 school year. He and his peers on the board will be held accountable for the group’s progress. The position of president is rotated each year in December.
Tate was elected mayor last November and began his two-year term last December.
The Times editorial board, chaired by Mainstreet Media Group Publisher Steve Staloch, includes Times Editor Sheila Sanchez, newspaper columnist Lisa Pampuch, independent speech writer David Cohen, realtor Chris Bryant, local veterinarian John Quick, former city employee Laura Gonzalez-Escoto and retired educator Don Kruse.
“The newspaper plays several important roles. It’s a community watchdog, it helps hold elected officials accountable to the voters who elect them, it advances the public’s right to know, it reduces secrecy in government,” said Sanchez. “We appreciate the cooperation our elected officials have given us with this project.”
Sanchez added: “This is truly a great example of civic journalism. We’re so excited to participate in a project that connects us at a deeper level with our elected officials and shines a light on our duty to go beyond news reporting to how the paper can affect our public life and empower our elected officials.”
The goals for the school board, which were set prior to the beginning of the academic year, fall into four categories: Academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, value employees and improve communication between board members, district officials and district community.
The goals and policies for the city council, which were established at the council’s policy summit in January, fall under several domains: Public safety, downtown development, environmental stewardship, city recreation, housing and urban development, school-district relations, and responsible policy making.
Some city council-established policies are directed toward Morgan Hill City Manager Ed Tewes, such as the task of crafting a budget this spring that results in a surplus of about $550,000 as predicted in the city’s most recent five-year fiscal forecast. Also, some goals are directed at three council public policy committees, which review topics before full council consideration. Each committee consists of two council members and meets monthly. Specific goals for the committees include the Morgan Hill Public Safety and Community Service Committee evaluating service levels in the Morgan Hill Police Department by May 2. While these goals exclude the full council’s participation, The Times feels it’s in the public’s best interest to monitor their results.
“The first responsibility of our leaders is to be a catalyst for positive change that results in redefining the social and economic reality of the community,” Staloch said. “However, public bodies often suffer from what can best be described as an illusion of activity, and whether real or perceived, we believe this process offers leadership the opportunity to promote their measurable vision, create a collaborative environment that leads to success, while welcoming a healthy dose of public scrutiny.”
Tate hopes the paper’s project makes government more transparent and helps people understand the issues facing the city.
“I am very optimistic that by working with the Morgan Hill Times we’ll be able to get our goals lined up with what everybody wants,” Tate said.
Mandel added: “The school board’s goals for the district guide our actions and priorities, and ensure that we keep our number one goal of student achievement as our primary concern. I welcome the support of the community, and the newspaper through its accountability project, as we move forward to achieve these goals to benefit the children of the school district.”
Pampuch said the newspaper’s watchdog role would be enhanced and hopes the project keeps long-term issues in the public eye.
“So often, long-term news stories are forgotten in the wake of the dramatic crisis of the moment,” Pampuch said. “We hope that this tool for tracking long-term issues will help the public agencies and the newspaper remember their importance.”
Times Editorial Board member David Cohen said: “This project provides the citizens of Morgan Hill a running report card on what their elected officials are doing and have promised to do. It also provides the clear transparency of action that elected officials tell their constituents what they are committed to.”
TRACKING THE GOALS
Coming Tuesday: A look at the Morgan Hill City Council goals and policies for 2007 adopted unanimously Feb. 7 and an explanation of our council/city manager form of government.
Coming Friday: A look at the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education goals for the 2006-07 school year unanimously adopted July 25, 2006 and an explanation of the district’s trustee/superintendent relationship.
Coming April 3: First report card on city/school officials’ goals with April target completion dates. Grades are issued by officials, Times editorial board and readers.
