The value of long service on Boards: redux

A couple of weeks ago, I posted some thoughts about long service on Boards. My conclusion then was that ten to twelve years was a reasonable upper limit on service, beyond which the value of one's contribution starts to fall away.

While the context of that post was corporate boards, the value question also needs to be asked of elected local body officials—Mayors and Councillors—for they hold a governance mandate. I raise this because an article published in the Dominion Post today highlighted the issues of long service and the need for 'fresh blood' in the Wellington City Council. The average length of service is twelve years. One Councillor has spent 27 years on Council. While some of the longer-serving Councillors were quick to defend their long stints, I couldn't help but get the feeling that occupancy in the role and advocacy of single issues (not to mention fees earned), had become more important than performance and public good in a number of cases (click here and here for examples).

This latest example reinforces the opinion I expressed two weeks ago. Performance and contribution should always prevail over longevity and status. I hope the candidates and voters bear this in mind in the run-up to the local body elections this October.