Montesquieu, a leading enlightenment thinker and influencer, advocated for the checks and balances in government that have shaped the structure of contemporary legislative systems and board -governed agencies designed to serve the people.
Unfortunately, we have gone through radical interpretations and abuses of both national, state and local governmental systems generally by those who have not taken the time or energy to learn or understand them. We have all heard, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”
The “Do it Yourself” project undertaken by an uninformed board has succeeded in breaking an organization that has served this county nobly for decades.
The board, regardless of their intent, through ignorance and an inability to take responsibility for firing a director who successfully ran and grew the organization, has succeeded in destroying a successful organization.
It is interesting to note that she was not fired until she had balanced the year end books and created the year’s budget.
As Montesquieu stated centuries ago, checks and balances are necessary. Too bad the Montezuma Housing Authority board didn’t understand its responsibilities or limits.
With five of the original eight employees in the office gone, it brings up the question of who will be doing the training in regulatory and accounting procedures. With federal, state and local funds, in addition to investment funding and grants, it is more than simply recording debits, credits and writing checks. Good luck! Auditing began April 1 for 2024.
Opal Croke
Cortez
