Jim Dwyer: Reorg the Board!

The Waukesha Taxpayers' League continues to apply the steam to the Waukesha County Board, since 18?? the home of Folks Who Otherwise Would Be Retired.

The part-time Board has served Waukesha County reasonably well, although it was over-sized. The number of Board members had a great deal to do with the horse-and-buggy transportation used by Board members in the Good Old Days--in fact, some of them still remember Waukesha County sine the Interstate, Brookfield Square, Marcus Theatres, and, well, population.

Last year the Board grudgingly voted to downsize itself, but not to let go of administering every single thing in the County. It kept lots of committees and (so far) has retained its daytime-meeting schedule. Municipalities like Brookfield and Elm Grove have Common Councils which are part-time and meet at night, but not Our Board. Nope. They meet during the day. Maybe they don't have those modern doodads like headlights on their cars.

Christine Lufter (Waukesha Taxpayers' League) and Supervisor Harenda of the Board have asked Chairman Bill Dwyer to re-org the Board, cutting duplicative committees and (get ready for this) asking the Board to meet during the evenings so that the folks who pay for the party get to attend now and then.

The Board Chair is ambivalent. Some members of the Board think that the reduction in Board membership will make them full-time Board members, what with all those Committee meetings and so forth. (Might even call for an increase in pay...you know: larger districts call for more yard-signs. Cost of re-election and all that.)

Another way to do it is to follow Lufter's and Harenda's suggestion: CUT DOWN ON COMMITTEES. Work on setting policy and exception-management, like real boards do. Use those headlights and meet at night. Drive faster than 35 mph.

Never know. The County Executive might actually do his job without the Board sitting on his shoulder. The County's Controller might still balance the books. These things could occur without your day-to-day yammering.

One more thing: One full-time Executive is enough. Chairman Bill can go part-time, just like the rest of the Board. Taxes are high, and $50K/year plus bennies counts!