Last week when Director Cooper was addressing Dem Forum I asked him a simple question, “Can commissioners vote NO on an item the Planning Department recommends approval of?”

He said ‘YES’ and quickly clarified they are ‘volunteers’.

I have often argued whether or not board members are paid or volunteer doesn’t matter. You still have to understand your duties affect many people and you still have to approach the position with integrity. In other words your decisions matter.

I asked the question because I often hear members of the commission (past and present) say they HAVE TO vote to approve something that is recommended. By law, they don’t have to. So the next time a commission member tells you that from the dais, remind them that they have the power and legal right to vote against a recommendation or as Cooper said to me, they can also amend it.

2 Thoughts on “Sioux Falls Planning Department Director Mike Cooper says commissioners can vote NO

  1. D@ily Spin on April 5, 2019 at 4:15 pm said:

    I get the impression commissioners and councilors are just for looks. Many things happen that were voted against or not voted upon at all. A few oligarchs control government. It’s not democracy when there’s public taxation without representation.

  2. "Very Stable Genius" on April 7, 2019 at 3:39 pm said:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw8Ok-cC_6M

    (Say, is that Roger Clinton on the Sax?)

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