EDITORIAL: Know their jobs

Today is when we select our government leaders. But how much do we really know about our leaders’ responsibilities after taking office?

Few School District 423 residents know, for example, that the district’s board members are required to abide by a three-page job description. We’re glad to see their duties are specifically described.

If you’re an employer, you might use a job description when interviewing job candidates and hiring new employees. As voters, all of us are taxpaying employers. Shouldn’t we know what our elected officials’ job descriptions say?

Where the jobs are defined
Last week, we studied the documents that spell out our leaders’ duties. In many cases, these job descriptions are contained in the documents we all know about but haven’t taken time to read: the U.S. Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution and the Hutchinson City Charter. We urge you to study these documents. All can be found with relative ease at the Hutchinson Library or on the Internet.

We were amazed by what we learned. For example, we found out that McLeod County Board members have specific duties in regard to ditches. We also learned that Minnesota lawmakers who are on their way to a legislative meeting cannot be detained by law enforcement, for whatever reason “except treason, felony or breach of the peace.”

Here are a few insights into our elected officials’ duties and the provisions that govern them:

• Members of the Independent School District 423 Board are required to maintain a long-range fiscal budget to maintain a Standard & Poors AA rating. They’re also required to implement a modified zero-based budget, meaning they have to start from scratch with each budget, and not simply increase the previous year’s budget. After some shaky financial decisions made more than a decade ago, the district is wise to require its board members to stick to these sound fiscal principles.

• Members of the Minnesota Legislature and U.S. Congress cannot benefit from a pay increase until after an election takes place. Makes sense to us. If taxpayers don’t like the pay hike, they can elect someone else who can rescind it. Surprisingly, this is a rather recent matter of business for Congress, ratified as the 27th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1992.

• Hutchinson City Council members have the authority to add new employee positions or change city employees’ job descriptions. The city charter says the council may, by resolution, establish or abolish any position, or “it may combine the duties of various employees as it may see fit.” Citizens who fear the potential for City Council micromanagement should take a close look at this one.

• Eight specific duties are spelled out for the McLeod County Board of Commissioners. One charges members with the responsibility of keeping all county ditches in repair.

• The selection of the U.S. president is more complicated than it seems. A majority of Electoral College votes determines which candidate is president. But what happens if there is no majority? Then, the House of Representatives will immediately choose, by ballot, the president. Don’t believe us? Check out the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1804.

Want to learn more? Here’s where to find it on the Web:
• District 423 School Board members’ job description: www.hutch.k12.mn.us/userFiles/File/policy/202.1.pdf

• Hutchinson City Charter: www.ci.hutchinson.mn.us/pdf/citycharter.pdf

• McLeod County Board of Commissioners’ responsibilities: www.co.mcleod.mn.us/index.cfm?pageID=6

• Minnesota Constitution: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm

• U.S. Constitution: www.usconstitution.net/const.html

Editorials are written by Publisher Matt McMillan and Editor Doug Hanneman. They can be reached at mcmillan@hutchinsonleader.com, or hanneman@hutchinsonleader.com.