Finding the advisors
In the first part of this series, I described how the TDG advisors will be sources of new perspectives for the elected TDG bodies. With these new perspectives, the elected side of the TDG will be making enhanced decisions.
A likely next question is: “Where do these advisors come from?”
The TDG Constitution
The constitution will provide rules for the advisory board. These rules will include the number of advisory tiers, the number of advisors in each tier, and the responsibilities for the advisors.
As well, the TDG constitution will stipulate that the top elected tier appoints the advisors to the top advisory tier.
The top advisory tier then appoints advisors to the next tier (down). And that tier appoints its advisors to the next tier down.
Ideally, advisors should have some experience on the elected side of the TDG, especially for the top advisory tier. When the top elected tier is making the appointment for the top advisory tier, it can draw from these sources:
1. An elected member of the current top elected tier
2. An elected member from a lower tier
3. A long-serving TDG member, who is no longer elected.
4. An advisor from a lower tier
One side, the other side, but not both
One rule is that a citizen cannot serve on both sides of the TDG.
Current advisors are allowed to vote in their neighborhood elections. And they are allowed to be voted for.
So if an advisor is elected as a neighborhood representative, he/she can choose between the two positions. If the elected position is chosen, the advisory position must be resigned. If the advisory position is kept, the constitution should have a provision to find another neighborhood representative, hopefully without redoing the election.
If an elected TDG representative is appointed to the advisory board and wants to serve in that position, that representative must resign his/her position on the elected side. The constitution may have a provision to find another representative — or maybe not until the next election.
This electoral/appointment separation better ensures the elected side and appointed side do not support or appear to support each other’s position in the TDG. It will be hard for an elected member to attain his/her TDG job because of an advisor’s influence — and vice versa.
The separation also delineates the much different responsibilities of the two sides of the TDG. An elected or appointed citizen needs to focus on his/her responsibilities.
Decision making
While advisors can take an advisory role in decisions of the elected side, the advisors have no vote or veto in these decisions. The elected representatives should listen carefully to what their advisors are saying but are not obligated to take their advice.
When the elected representatives make that decision, the advisor should respect that decision and work toward its implementation.
Independence of the Advisory Board
The rules that govern the advisory board could be defined in the constitution. Or the rules might be set up by the highest tier, which can more easily be changed. Each TDG will figure this balance for itself.
But outside those rules, the advisory board can make its own decisions, free of input from the elected side. For example, the assignment of specific advisors to specific elected TDG bodies shall be made by the advisory board, not the elected side.
Term of office
I recommend a three-year term for each advisor.
However, given this longer term, the constitution should have a provision to remove the advisor, probably with a super majority vote.
Conclusion
Advisors are appointed, not elected. The process of appointments shall be governed by the TDG constitution, with the highest elected tier making the appointment to the highest advisor tier. Lower tier advisors are appointed by the next highest advisory tier.
The responsibilities of the advisor are different than the elected representatives. To minimize conflicts of interest, a citizen cannot serve on both sides at the same time. The citizen will choose which side to serve on, if elected and appointed at the same time.
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