Atascadero’s Measures F-16 and G-16 eliminate citizen oversight

Measures F-16 and G-16 would eliminate voting for city clerk and city treasurer in Atascadero and instead make these city positions. You can’t blame the city for this very practical measure: It makes a situation that already exists permanent and eliminates the need for costly elections to select individuals to serve in these positions.

But this means the public will be voting to eliminate citizen oversight. The reason city clerks and city treasurers are supposed to be elected is to put citizen watchdogs front and center in city halls to ensure citizens have access to unbiased and complete information. Elected city clerks and city treasurers answer to the public, not the city manager.

Because of public apathy, these offices often lack candidates and cities fill the gap by posting public employees in these positions. But there is a built-in conflict of interest in incorporating citizen oversight positions into city government. A city finance manager should not be the same person as the elected city treasurer — whose job it is to oversee the actions of the city finance manager!

Measures F-16 and G-16 risk making this situation permanent.

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Atascadero’s Measures F-16 and G-16 eliminate citizen oversight."