Democracy in the Grand Prairie: No Life Time Appointments

City Commissioner Ed Gray and Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England

Earlier this week my office received the following email:

Commissioner Gray :
I believe that this may be of interest to you:

The City of Grand Prairie has many Commissions and Boards that are integral in assisting our City Council with its governance. Examples include the City Parks and Recreation Board, Planning and Zoning Board, Commission on Aging Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals etc.

Prospective board members are nominated and voted upon by the City Council and each board member is limited to a maximum allotted term of service of 6 years. These “term limits” are in effect for every single board except three panels that have been exempted from this limitation: The Sports Corporation, the G.P. Housing Finance Board and the G.P. Industrial Board.

When questioned about the inconsistencies concerning term limits and why these three boards should be exempt from said rules the Mayor stated that he was in favor of doing away with all term limits for board appointments. This would mean that a person could be appointed for life to any advisory panel.

This next Tuesday, July 19, the City Council has placed the proposal to remove all term limits from any City Council board appointments on the consent agenda. Councilman Mark Hepworth has asked to remove this item from the consent agenda and open it up for public discussion and debate.

I will not tell you how to vote but I believe that this issue is important and the City Council should receive the input from our citizenry. City Council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Please come make your intentions clear by attending and speaking or at least filling out a card in support or against this proposed action.

My response to the citizens of my city is expressed in the following.
Please feel free to forward as others may or may not be aware of the continuing public debate on the issue.

The email's clearly defined position is that Grand Prairie citizens should oppose the current direction of the proposed mayoral consent agreement.It encourages Grand Prairie citizens to take a step forward and support clarification and amending a consent agreement that would allow citizens appointed by the mayor to have long tenured commission appointments with no term limits.The citizens of Grand Prairie need diversity, this diversity is not based upon color , it is a diversity of opinion that produces fresh ideas.

As I close , I believe in a Grand Prairie ,a Grand Prairie in which all of our differences are exploited for the common good,I expect that my friends and neighbors will be at City Hall next week ,doing what we Americans do best.We constantly move forward,setting aside misguided notions, correcting mistakes ,and striving for the best.I will join them next Tuesday, July 19 ,2011 at City Hall at 5:30 pm to continue to deliver a message. Please join me and others next Tuesday as we send a message.No life time appointments for city council appointees.