Public Officials’ Actions Scrutinized

The article, “Special District Ills Foretold by Two O.C. Juries” (April 16), paints with a broad, dirty brush an entire system of citizen governance.

Far from being “insulated from public scrutiny,” California’s special districts provide for direct participation in the running of agencies by ordinary people instead of professional politicians.

Voters can easily displace a special district board member who makes the wrong decisions about water, sewer or library policies. It is vastly more difficult to dislodge a county supervisor or city council member because of a single issue since these representatives deal with such a wide array of questions.

As an example, I offer for your consideration the Buena Park Library District, where I serve as an elected trustee. Members of our board are drawn to service not by political opportunity (since there is none) nor by money (since we serve by law without compensation). Instead, we give our time because we care about libraries. In other jurisdictions, libraries have been closed and service to the public curtailed by city or county officials who had other uses for their budget dollars. We, too, have had to deal with severe budget shortfalls, but the public’s access to books and knowledge is protected by the fact that our only mission is the library.

Beware those politicians who seek to dismantle special districts and consolidate all power and responsibility into their own hands. If you believe their agenda is better government, I have a bridge for sale.

BOB NICCUM

Buena Park