CPAC ACCOUNTABILITY
CPAC, in its early days, established itself as an organization which earned respect for good works accomplished for the community.
After achieving major accomplishments, CPAC was mostly idle for several years. In 2008 CPAC accepted the responsibility to ‘explore the costs and benefits’ of incorporation or annexation and present the findings to the property owners.
Although CPAC proclaimed neutrality, it was not conveyed. Major concerns and questions associated with incorporation issues were never properly addressed. Somewhere along the line the research mission turned into an incorporation mission.
Without taking a vote of the property owners to determine the wishes of the majority, CPAC initiated and pushed the incorporation process. This included funding legal support for incorporation activities. CPAC funds raised during its early years for the good of the community were used to fund this agenda
CPAC held an election for two offices July 30th, 2010. A co-chair and sergeant-at-arms were overwhelmingly elected. These two people ran for office to reclaim the neutrality of CPAC and reorient its priorities toward the wishes of the property owners. In early August, the new officers and existing officers of CPAC met. An agreement was reached NOT to support or expend any additional funds on incorporation activities.
Disregarding the agreement with the new officers CPAC continued to provide support for the incorporation drive which culminated in a court filing that was dismissed for lack of foundation
Throughout the incorporation saga, the existing officers of CPAC revealed little supporting documentation and information about their activities to the community. CPAC continued this practice with its new officers as it resisted sharing information to which they were entitled. An existing CPAC officer voiced concern that sharing certain information with the new officers could be detrimental.
The resistance to sharing information and CPAC’s continuing promotion of the incorporation agenda by the entrenched officers of CPAC left the new officers little choice but to press more aggressively for the release of information and an accounting of activities. These measures were taken to further accountability to the community CPAC was established to serve.
Mary Budreau