The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

The non-partisan elections coming up in April are important, since in Arpil we elect the people responsible for spending most of the locally-collected tax money. This year we’ll vote on the Warrensburg City Council, the School Board and the Medical Center Board; unopposed candidates for the Ambulance Board, and fire and water districts don’t appear on the ballot. It’s our responsibility as voters to select the candidates who will serve effectively as our representatives on these boards.

Our area has had more than its share of ineffective boards and commissions, mostly appointed. Generally speaking, the ineffective boards have followed the recommendations of their hired staff and directors without question. That has led me to reflect on just what an effective board must do to be effective. Here is my advice for board & commission members.

1. Question assumptions. Just because this is the way it has always been done doesn’t mean that it should be done the same way in the future. Find out what underlies the assumptions and see if those facts are valid.

2. Do the research. Don’t accept whatever the hired gun (director, manager, superintendent, etc.) or his staff says without verification. Use the internet to see if it’s being done better somewhere else.

3. Watch the dollars. Lack of good financial controls is a quick way to get an organization into trouble. Watch for profligate spending on nice-to-have items, as well as watching for fraud and mismanagement. Remember who the money came from.

4. Watch for empire building. Bureaucratic prestige is measured by the size of a manager’s staff. Make sure that the hired help isn’t taking on new and extraneous missions in a move to boost prestige and paycheck.

5. Remember the mission – to ensure that the required services are delivered at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.

As voters, we need to select the people who’ll make our boards effective.