Over the past several years, I have applied on a few occasions to serve on some of Salt Lake City’s volunteer boards and commissions. In some cases, I was responding to mass mailings the city has mailed, asking community members to consider applying.
For instance, recently I applied to serve on the Police Civilian Review Board, where the number of vacancies has now grown to 14, out of a total of 21 seats. I have never received a meaningful reply to my applications. I shared my experience on a local neighborhood Facebook group, and was met with several replies from people who had the same experience applying to serve on boards, yet never received a reply.
Many of these people are highly competent and capable individuals, including attorneys, people with experience working in government, and leaders of local businesses. I believe these people would serve the city well. Certainly better than an empty seat.
So why does the city continue to allow the number of board vacancies to grow year after year even as they receive applications from qualified candidates? Something about this picture is missing, and I believe the Salt Lake City Council should look into the Mayor’s selection process for serving on these boards.
Jeremy Beckham, Salt Lake City