Metro’s board of directors has contributed to the rapid decline of the transit system and is swiftly losing public confidence, a regional panel that examined the agency’s governing structure said Wednesday.
The task force wants to establish a commission that would include the area’s highest local elected officials to oversee Metro’s board of directors, among other “immediate changes.”
The commission would include the Maryland and Virginia governors, the D.C. mayor and council chairman, and three regional transportation officials. The members would elect the board chairman.
| Key recommendations |
| SIht» Establish a 7-member governance commission to oversee Metro’s board |
| » Introduce staggered, four-year terms for all board members |
| » Install a two-term limit for all board members |
| » Develop a uniform compensation policy for all board members |
| » Allow 2 governors and the D.C. mayor to each select one board member |
| » Eliminate alternate positions and shrink board to 12 members total |
| » Eliminate rotating chairman and allow governance commission to elect board chairman |
| » Limit jurisdictional veto power to budget and system expansion matters |
| » Replace the general manager with a CEO |
“The task force has some reservations regarding the current composition of the board; specifically, it is not convinced that elected officials are able to adopt a long-term, regional perspective,” the report said.
“Metro’s troubling decline in performance will continue unless fundamental changes are made to improve governance, leadership and accountability.”
The Greater Washington Board of Trade and
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments sponsored the report.
The task force also recommends re-evaluating a single jurisdiction’s ability to kill a proposal with a veto and allowing the two governors and mayor to each appoint a board member.
“The current structure lacks accountability and responsibility,” said Jim Dyke, the panel’s co-chairman.
The Metro board would answer to the new “governance commission” for its performance, the report said. A CEO should be hired to run Metro instead of a general manager, and the board chairman should be elected for a four-year post instead of rotating annually.
“The task force found the lack of a clear line between the board and the general manager and the annually rotating board chair contributed to … problems,” Dyke said.
The riders group that advises Metro also suggested installing a CEO in its governance report on Tuesday. However, the group suggested keeping a general manager while the CEO acts as the “visionary head” of the agency.
The task force said many of the recommendations could — and “should” — be implemented as soon as possible. Most immediately, the ongoing search for Metro’s new general manager should be turned into a CEO search, they said.
If adopted by Metro, other changes designed to give the board a more regional focus could come as soon as within the next several months, such as a new board chairman.
Under the existing practice, board members rotate as chairman. The chairman also assigns board members to committees, and the task force said that can lead to arbitrary committee assignments and less efficiency.
“You can literally be appointed to chair the board of directors having never served on the board,” said David Robertson, a task force member and executive director of the Council of Governments.
In addition, no member should serve more than two four-year terms.
Of the board’s 14 members, Christopher Zimmerman, Jim Graham and William Euille have served longer than eight years.
The report is based on public and private meetings held this summer and fall. The 18-member panel was assembled in response to increasing criticism of Metro after a June 2009 Red Line crash killed nine and injured dozens more.
Eight Metro employees have also died in the past five years.
Task members said lack of leadership — two general managers in the past five years — has exacerbated the problem.
“Confidence in Metro has been severely shaken,” said Kwame Brown, incoming D.C. Council chairman and co-chairman of the task force. “We must work together as a region to earn back the trust. … of riders.”
The Metro board chairman, vice chairman and interim general manager were briefed on the report before its release. Brown said they seemed “open” to the suggestions.
The task force report is expected to be approved by the end of the year and then will be taken up by Metro’s board of directors.
