The Abuse of Discretionary Power

Perhaps one the most ubiquitous of the various types of advisory bodies found in local communities is the appearance committee. The appearance committee, or commission, with its charge to serve as the aesthetic watchdog for the community, has become a fixture in many communities. Developers find it easier to accommodate this body’s requests than to challenge it.1 The exasperated and resigned shopping center developer whose letter of frustration to the village mayor is quoted above is not alone in feeling that this type of action by an advisory body is an abuse of discretionary authority at the local level.