The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors removed one of its appointees to the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board on Monday. By a 4-0 vote (Board President Trip Hairston abstained) the board removed Joe Beckett from the nine-member board.
There are too many unknown details to weigh in on whether the board’s action was justified. We do note that it is rare, however. We cannot remember in recent years an appointing body removing someone it has appointed. Typically, boards wait until the end of the appointee’s term and then decline to re-appoint them.
Other than to say that even a criminal has a right to face his accuser – something that Beckett was not allowed to do – we cannot speak to the propriety of the board’s decision.
But this occurrence does raise points that all governing bodies should consider when it comes to holding its appointees accountable.
First, it’s important to understand there is a fine line between being an independent voice and sowing the kind of discontent that inhibits the board from functioning effectively.
There is also a fine line between being able to offer alternatives and being a team player. Bad policy is almost always a product of too little debate, not too much. Being a team player should not mean quietly yielding to the majority view simply to keep the peace. There are times when dissent is essential, and that’s the mark of a team player in the best sense of the term.
A board member’s conduct and the way he/she expresses views are relevant, too. The entities that make these appointments have every right to demand a level of decorum and respect in dealing with their fellow board members.
These board and commission positions are not glamorous nor are they personally profitable. The tasks they perform are often thankless but essential.
Often, board members do the important work that few are willing to do. It’s not uncommon to have only one applicant for a board seat.
We believe the vast majority who serve on these boards are doing so because they want to serve the public, not their own self-interests.
Those who make these appointments – most often boards of supervisors, aldermen and city councilmen – should show restraint in any situation where removing an appointee is considered, especially when that appointee is not allowed to defend themselves.
Prompt dismissal may well have a chilling effect on others who may volunteer for appointments.
No one wants to be humiliated by being removed from a board position they believe they are occupying as a good-faith effort to serve the community.
As noted, these situations are rare and, we believe, they are rare for good reasons.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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