NorCo Council President Ken Kraft Unilaterally Decides to Stop Executive Reports

NorCo's Home Rule Charter specifically provides that County Council can require periodic reports from the Executive branch. Ron Angle, when he was Council President, suggested to fellow Council members many moons ago that it would be good for them, the administration and the public they serve, to provide an opportunity at every meeting for the county's top official to tell us what's going on. Council agreed. And so, the county executive report was born. It became a feature of every County Council meeting agenda. Until now. County Council President Ken Kraft has unilaterally decided to remove this feature from county council agendas

This tradition lasted through several Executives, starting with John Stoffa. Sometimes they had a lot to say. On other occasions, nothing at all.vs. 

Kraft has the authority as Council President to preside at meetings. By tradition, Council Presidents also set agendas and appoint county council committees. But he has no actual authority to make appointments or set agendas. He is little more than a first among equals. 

After she became Executive, Zrinski took the opportunity to deliver informative reports about what was going on in different county departments. Anyone with an actual interest in county government, instead of county politics, would find these useful. Not Kraft. He preferred that we know as little as possible, and pressured Zrinski to speed things up. When I complained, it was played off as a running joke. 

Not anymore. 

Although Zrinski has continued to provide these updates, she has also spent perhaps a bit more time than she should talking about herself. That's who she is, and she is far from the first politician to have a massive ego. During her report at last week's meeting, she went too far. She directly confronted several audience members who are understandably critical of her planned 43.5% tax hike. She also got emotional and had to choke back tears during the remainder of her report. 

It made her and County Council look bad.  

Kraft seized on that poor display to make a change. In an email sent to County Council members on Friday that has Lamont McClure's fingerprints all over it, Kraft made the unilateral decision to remove the Executive Report from future County Council agendas. "The objective is not to restrict questions or diminish accountability; it is to eliminate an unnecessary standing agenda item while preserving every Commissioner’s ability to obtain the information needed to perform their duties."

This is nonsense. When the county executive exercises the option of reporting on what is happening throughout different departments, she is providing accountability and transparency that also reaches members of the public who have no ability to ask questions of obtain this information any other way. 

This also enables both Council and the public to evaluate the kind of person who is speaking. Is she informative? Knowledgeable about county operations? A little too juvenile? Or instead, is she too pompous? Is she sincere? 

Kraft lacks the authority to do what he did. He is depriving both fellow Council members and the public from an opportunity to see their Exec in action and judge for themselves.  If he hates the idea that it adds 15 minutes to a meeting, he should resign. Hopefully County Council will reverse him at their next meeting. 

Let me tell what I've learned about watching and listening to her. She is working hard and grows more and more familiar with each department. She is a bit too jocular and laughs at the strangest times with very odd facial expressions. She talks a bit too much about herself. But she also has a deep desire to make the county a better place, is empathetic and is certainly sincere. 

We learn a lot from watching the Execs. What did I learn? John Stoffa displayed a deep sense of personal integrity combined with a wry humor. Brown was very knowledgeable about finance but had no empathy and hated saying more than was necessary. McClure by far was the most brilliant of the Execs and was often responsive to members of both Council and the public. He often would focus on one or two matters and sometimes used the Exec report to honor people. He was the first Exec to recognize that this report was a very useful too that combined good politics with good governance. Zrinski should have the same opportunity as other Execs.