There’s an old saying that claims, “Bigger is not always better.”
We believe this adage holds true when it comes the current size of the Madison Joint Recreation District Board.
A recent News-Herald story noted that the size and composition of the rec district’s board would change if a plan unveiled by the group itself is implemented.
Under terms of that proposal, the board is looking to reduce its overall number of members who are appointed by Madison Village and Madison Township, and the Madison School Board — which oversee the territories served by the rec district.
In addition, the number of at-large members on the panel would decrease.
Another change in the rec board’s structure would be the addition of one Madison High School student to the group.
In addition, the panel will be developing a master plan to clearly identify short- and long-term goals for the recreation district.
All of these intentions have been highlighted by rec board Chairman Duane Frager during recent meetings of Village Council, township trustees and the school board.
At the Sept. 26 council meeting, Frager explained that the rec board currently consists of 12 members. Township trustees, the school board and village council each appoint three members. The rec board itself also chooses three at-large members.
While the 12-member board ensures that all segments of the Madison community are represented, a panel of this size also has its drawbacks, Frager said. With many people having busy lives, it’s a challenge to get all 12 members to attend every meeting, he noted.
“Actually, the last couple of years, we have been operating most of the time with nine or 10 people,” Frager said.
Filling vacancies on the large panel, when they arise, also has proven difficult, he added.
“It’s hard to get good people to volunteer to do things,” Frager said. “And we don’t want to just add anyone to fill a seat. We know how detrimental that can be.”
Frager said the board is looking to eliminate one seat from each three-member segment representing the village, township, school district and community at-large. That would reduce the current roster to eight from 12.
“There’s a number of reasons to do that, but the main reason is, we want quality over quantity,” Frager said. “We know that within the next three to five years, every person that’s on the rec board will not be on the rec board. And so, we want to leave it obviously in better shape than when we got in there, and one of those things is quality people.”
In conjunction with decreasing the size of the existing rec board to eight members, Frager said the panel wants to add one seat, which would be specifically filled by a Madison High School student.
“(The student member) would have all the responsibilities of a trustee,” he said “They would attend all of our meetings, give their input, and participate in some of our events.”
Township trustees, village council and the school board all approved legislation to create the Recreation District nearly 40 years ago. Because of the roles they played, these government entities would need to pass amended resolutions to change the size of the current board.
Council, trustees and the school board also would be required to approve the addition of a student to the board.
It’s The News-Herald’s opinion that the rec board’s proposal to restructure would be a wise move.
Decreasing the current board size to eight members from 12 would still ensure that there are multiple representatives to advocate for all segments of the rec district’s service area: Madison Village and Township; Madison School District; and the Madison community as a whole — through at-large panel members.
We also like the idea of creating a ninth seat on the board specifically for a Madison High School student. Whoever fills this role would gain valuable experience in serving on a governmental body that is typically composed of adults.
In conclusion, we hope that Village Council, township trustees and the school board will provide the legislative approval needed for the Madison Joint Recreation District Board to change its structure for the better.
