The appointment process has been officially scrapped. Sunlight is the best disinfectant for our local government. We remain watching.
April 14, 2019
I Support Transparency of Political Appointments in Cochise County, AZ
Final supporters
After the Justice of the Peace serving Sierra Vista was appointed to the AZ Superior Court, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors had to appoint a replacement. This process included a closed door discussion among the supervisors that ultimately ended with them choosing one of themselves to become the next Justice of the Peace. This enabled the supervisor to essentially double their pay. No other candidates were interviewed. There wasn’t a public process when one is probably expected (even though not legally required). This has already led to one lawsuit and an injunction. All of this could have been prevented with simply being transparent. That is the minimal level of effort we should expect from our elected representatives.
This petition will be sent to the other two county supervisors (who are not elected to serve Sierra Vista or Cochise County District 1) and let them know we will not tolerate these kinds of actions and we want an open, transparent local government - especially when the person being appointed is ruling on serious issues involving a person’s guilt, innocence, and small claims on our behalf. We deserve the best judicial candidate, not one selected based on efficiency... and certainly not without public input when any current elected official benefits entirely.
This petition will be sent to Cochise County Supervisors Ann English and Peggy Judd before the March 14. 2019 vote to ratify this decision. The hope is that they will hear how tone-deaf this action is and they need to stop this decision before setting a new ethical precedent.
We have little time to get as many signatures as possible. They need to know where Sierra Vista and the rest of the county stands on the issue government transparency. Now is your time to be heard.
This petition does not seek to disqualify the current candidate from consideration and only asks that a public process be defined and followed to consider the best candidate for this (and future) important appointments. Nothing more and nothing less. If the current candidate is the best one than this process should reveal that fact - and if not than it will reveal that as well.
Let’s send a statement that we all want transparency in our local government regardless of position or person. We will accept nothing less than that from our elected officials.
Thank you!
Updates
March 13, 2019
The silence from the board is telling. We are preparing to present these signatures to them soon.
Reached 100 supporters
March 13, 2019
48 Comments
Please be transparent. I know a couple attorneys that would have been great candidates for JP5
As someone in JP5 we deserve somone on the bench with a law back ground or at least a say in what is going on in our county and to know beforehand who is being appointed into an open seat on the bench. In this and all other things we need to have transparency a thing which we have significantly lacked for far too long in this county. It is time to change.
The process of appointing a replacement for Judge Dickerson should have been a transparent process. The fact of pay is inconsequential, but the appointment smacks of a good old boy deal.
There are proper procedures for filling public offices, that keep transparency and accountability at the forefront. No matter how well intentioned the most recent appointment may have been it isn’t open or honest.
how can we trust the new JP to be ethical and just if he was nominated under shady circumstances and didnt stop his peers(ann&peggy) nor even voice a concern? How can we trust leadership that won't even adhere to their own rules?
We must remain viligant against those tyrants that masquerade themselves as public servants. _George Washington
We need transparency in our local government as well as all government!
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The appointment process has been officially scrapped. Sunlight is the best disinfectant for our local government. We remain watching.
April 14, 2019
I Support Transparency of Political Appointments in Cochise County, AZ
Final supporters
After the Justice of the Peace serving Sierra Vista was appointed to the AZ Superior Court, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors had to appoint a replacement. This process included a closed door discussion among the supervisors that ultimately ended with them choosing one of themselves to become the next Justice of the Peace. This enabled the supervisor to essentially double their pay. No other candidates were interviewed. There wasn’t a public process when one is probably expected (even though not legally required). This has already led to one lawsuit and an injunction. All of this could have been prevented with simply being transparent. That is the minimal level of effort we should expect from our elected representatives.
This petition will be sent to the other two county supervisors (who are not elected to serve Sierra Vista or Cochise County District 1) and let them know we will not tolerate these kinds of actions and we want an open, transparent local government - especially when the person being appointed is ruling on serious issues involving a person’s guilt, innocence, and small claims on our behalf. We deserve the best judicial candidate, not one selected based on efficiency... and certainly not without public input when any current elected official benefits entirely.
This petition will be sent to Cochise County Supervisors Ann English and Peggy Judd before the March 14. 2019 vote to ratify this decision. The hope is that they will hear how tone-deaf this action is and they need to stop this decision before setting a new ethical precedent.
We have little time to get as many signatures as possible. They need to know where Sierra Vista and the rest of the county stands on the issue government transparency. Now is your time to be heard.
This petition does not seek to disqualify the current candidate from consideration and only asks that a public process be defined and followed to consider the best candidate for this (and future) important appointments. Nothing more and nothing less. If the current candidate is the best one than this process should reveal that fact - and if not than it will reveal that as well.
Let’s send a statement that we all want transparency in our local government regardless of position or person. We will accept nothing less than that from our elected officials.
Thank you!
Updates
March 13, 2019
The silence from the board is telling. We are preparing to present these signatures to them soon.
Reached 100 supporters
March 13, 2019
48 Comments
Apparently nothing about this was technically illegal, but it stinks to high heaven. What other actions have the supervisors taken behind closed doors that the public knows nothing about? Time to vote the current supervisors out of office.
Please be transparent. I know a couple attorneys that would have been great candidates for JP5
As someone in JP5 we deserve somone on the bench with a law back ground or at least a say in what is going on in our county and to know beforehand who is being appointed into an open seat on the bench. In this and all other things we need to have transparency a thing which we have significantly lacked for far too long in this county. It is time to change.
The process of appointing a replacement for Judge Dickerson should have been a transparent process. The fact of pay is inconsequential, but the appointment smacks of a good old boy deal.
There are proper procedures for filling public offices, that keep transparency and accountability at the forefront. No matter how well intentioned the most recent appointment may have been it isn’t open or honest.
how can we trust the new JP to be ethical and just if he was nominated under shady circumstances and didnt stop his peers(ann&peggy) nor even voice a concern? How can we trust leadership that won't even adhere to their own rules?
We must remain viligant against those tyrants that masquerade themselves as public servants. _George Washington
We need transparency in our local government as well as all government!
Share Petition
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Apparently nothing about this was technically illegal, but it stinks to high heaven. What other actions have the supervisors taken behind closed doors that the public knows nothing about? Time to vote the current supervisors out of office.