Bass set to take over as supervisors’ chairwoman

The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors will have a new chairman starting Tuesday, its first meeting of 2010.

It’s customary for the board to change the chairmanship every year on a rotating basis. Next up for consideration is Liz Bass, the representative for District 1, made up largely of Sonora.

Bass would replace current board Chairwoman Teri Murrison, who represents District 3, which takes in Twain Harte, Tuolumne and much of the high country.

Bass said her first move as chairwoman would be to assign committee appointments for board members. She plans to make some reassignments.

Bass, in her second four-year term, has a basic view of the chair’s role.

“This is a person who runs the best possible meeting and signs the papers required by law or custom,” she said. “The chair makes sure there’s order behind the dias and in the audience.

“Anything else is puffery.”

But that’s not to say Bass doesn’t see some opportunity beyond the basics in her time as chair.

“I want to improve the credibility with the Board of Supervisors, make it something people can believe in, a stronger force for good,” she said. “There’s a growing disconnect between the electorate and leadership.”

Bass blames the use of bureaucratic language, which can be confusing to the layman, and political grandstanding on the board for this.

“I want to make things clear,” she said. “I want to do and say things that people understand.

“I think the whole Board of Supervisors needs to step up to the plate and work on more issues that are relevant to the people,” particularly recreation and transportation, Bass said.

In the end, according to Bass’ philosophy, being a supervisor is simply about getting things done.

“I don’t have any grand agenda,” she said. “It’s small-scale and about everyday living.”