Victor See Through Kim Capripants

There is a well-known governance principle that defines the relationship between elected bodies and staff.

It states " Elected officials should keep their noses in and their fingers out".

Translated, it means elected officials should not be giving staff direct assignments. They should define the broad goals for the business plan, let staff execute, and then evaluate their performance.

Apparently, nobody on Vancouver City Council is aware of this principle. Our councilors think they are staff managers.

The latest example is Kim Capri's direction to staff to do a "study" on eliminating plastic bags. Apparently Ms. Capri saw an Internet report about a similar initiative in San Francisco and felt it required a special staff study.

Other recent demands for staff studies by councilors cover items ranging from free bicycles to organic food in city-owned establishments. The Mayor is good for one of these bathtub ideas every week resulting in yet more unplanned staff studies.

Here is the problem with these requests. Vancouver City Hall employs some very expensive people, with salaries reaching $300,000 a year. Presumably these people are busy. If so , they don't have time to drop everything because Ms. Capri saw something on the web. If they do have enough slack time to write position papers on every lunatic idea from councilors, then we have too many highly paid, under-worked people on city payroll. Pick one.

The other problem is one of legal liability. If staff are getting direct assignments from elected officials instead of their managers, it throws performance appraisal out the window. Any employee receiving a poor review for failing to meet goals can rightfully complain that they were pulled off their work by interfering councilors.

Note to City Council. Staff is not a toy you get to play with upon being elected. .