Fix oversight committee, don’t toss it out
There’s an old saying about babies and bathwater. When it comes to Modesto’s Measure L oversight commission, our biggest fear is that the water is just too hot.
Relations between some committee members and several members of the city council have reached the boiling point. Tuesday night there is a motion to scrap the entire commission and start with new language, more closely mirroring the countywide oversight committee. That motion should be put on hold.
Some on the city council believe some commissioners have gone far beyond their “oversight” role and are trying to set policy by prioritizing projects. Some members of the commission believe the council is trying to remove the public from the process.
In hearing both sides, we heard two good points:
“They’re not evil people,” said Measure L commissioner Janice Keating, a former city councilwoman.
“They’re reasonable people,” said city councilman Mani Grewal.
So, let’s declare a reset. Getting rid of the Measure L oversight ordinance isn’t necessary, but leaving it exactly as it is won’t work.
Measure L is the half-cent sales tax 72 percent of voters approved to pay for road improvements. Half goes to cities based on population, half to regional projects including transit, bike lanes, etc. Modesto has nearly $10 million in its account, but disputes between the council and commission are gumming up the process. Projects in other cities have begun.
There were several factors in passing Measure L, but in Modesto one was creating beefed-up oversight. Such oversight from interested citizens is integral to good government.
That said, city commissions are appointed to help city council members in making decisions – not fight them. When some Measure L committee members attended the city’s economic development commission meeting, the chair had to gavel down one of them. The beef here appears to be the expectations written into a vague Measure L committee charter.
Modesto is the only city with a special commission, and it’s expected to “bless” proposals before they go to the county’s umbrella oversight committee. So commissioners should be in the loop from the start.
But, say city councilmembers, “review” means looking at completed projects to ensure they were done appropriately and that taxpayers got what they paid for. It’s the council’s job – with aid of staff – to choose and prioritize projects. With so many competing interests, that’s no easy task. Choose well, you’re re-elected; choose poorly, you’re not.
Because their jobs are on the line, councilmembers are the ones who get to make the decisions.
Tuesday night they should appoint an ad-hoc council committee to figure out how best all three groups – staff, committee and city council – can do their jobs. We don’t support throwing out the Measure L commission charter, but it must be revised.
First, we like designating committee seats for watchdog groups, neighborhood groups, business, etc. But four such seats should be plenty. Allowing each councilmember to fill a seat is also a good idea.
Make the distinction between oversight and policy-making clear cut. The ordinance says the committee’s role is to review the policies and standards used “to set priorities.” That doesn’t mean it gets to choose. Allowing the committee to do both is a conflict of interest. If you push your pet project to the top of the list, you’ll be less likely to criticize it when completed.
Modesto’s city council shouldn’t throw out the bathwater Tuesday night. Just let it cool, and find a way for all the babies to do their jobs.
