Sam, you seem to be mixing Messora with Shita. Messora is what Klal yisroel has been doing and a Shita is what I feel or what I personally heard from my Rebbe. Mesora is our core and what we learn keeps that in check. It is Mesora that stopped us from following most of Open Orthodoxy’s technically-within-the-framework inventions.
There is a lot of misinformation here. As seen earlier in this thread, it was assumed by many outside observers that Daas Torah means that we would ask a Rov for a medical opinion. People rail against “Daas Torah” without knowing what it is.
The next argument is to invent a Chiluk of Sannhedrin to later Rabbonim, although the Pasuk says Hakohen Asher Yihyeh Bayamim Haheim and Chazal say, Yiftach Bedoro Kishmuel Bedoro. There are things that we know can’t be done without Smicha and Beis Din but that is not a liscense to make up the rest.
And, as I said earlier, Rabbonim today and Beis Din in the past did not decide on street lights and road repairs. Civil matters are left to civil servants. However, they are the ones in charge of the Torah’s attitude towards matters when an issue comes up. If Rabbonim announce that it is Asssur to rally behind an immoral candidate even at the cost of losing funding, or if they say that funding a Yeshiva to advance Torah learning is more important than an individual’s choices, these are not ‘mundane matters’. These are situations in which you are getting their ‘Psak’ in Hilchos Chilul Hashem and Limud Hatorah.