Today the Mayor pushed the City Council to put a new Strong Mayor Initiative on the ballot within the next two weeks. Rushing a proposal to the ballot without time for vetting or community involvement is bad government and bad politics. If we change the way our government operates, it should be focused on more community involvement and more open, transparent government. The process through which we pursue change should reflect those values.

Changing our City’s Constitution is not something we should take lightly. The process matters. An open, transparent, process that involves the community and all stake holders will lead to a sound, responsible policy that reflects our community and our values. It will also bring about consensus and a strong coalition that is needed to make such a huge change.

The Mayor is proposing a huge change and there are a number of steps that he should undertake:

1. Identify the problem: Through this entire process, the Mayor has repeatedly asserted that the system is broken, hoping that if he said it enough times, people would believe him. This has led some folks to believe that the real problem is that the Mayor just does not like having to attend City Council meetings.
2. Identify the severity of the problem: Our city leaders and city staff only have so much time and resources. Should we really be diverting our focus from job creation, public safety, affordable housing, the homeless, public transportation, downtown development, waterfront development, parks, the budget, etc, etc?
3. Engage the community: Leadership is not telling the community what it needs. Leadership is asking the community what it needs and wants, what its values are and then helping the community achieve it. The Mayor cannot lead by going it alone.
4. Enlist diverse stake holders: Any proposal to overhaul our city’s government should be written by representatives of our entire city – from every neighborhood in our city, from every group in our city, the people we agree with and the people we disagree with. This is the only way to create a city charter that will work for the whole city.
5. Proofread: Before finalizing a new proposal, make sure the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted and that there is not a new Council District without a provision to ever fill it.

The Mayor should take his time. The community has more important things to focus on than the Charter. We need to get Sacramento back to work, get downtown humming, ensure that everyone has a safe place to live and no streets need avoiding after dark. The City Charter does not define a mayor’s strength. The mayor defines it, through leadership, through coalition building, through the work he or she does. Joe Serna was a strong mayor. Kevin Johnson could be that kind of mayor – but only if he focuses on the community’s priorities and works with the community, rather than telling the community what it needs and expecting the community to follow.

Note: The opinions expressed herein are the author's own and not necessarily those of any organization he works with.