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Friday, February 10, 2012
Mayor's office releases old strong mayor draft
by Kathleen Haley, published on July 7, 2010 at 10:15 PM
Storyline: Sacramento City Hall / Politics
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Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office released an older draft of the strong mayor proposal one month after The Sacramento Press requested a copy of it.
Kunal Merchant, Johnson’s chief of staff, wrote in a note accompanying the old draft that the strong mayor campaign is no longer using it. Johnson used the old draft months ago when he tried to convince the City Council to put a strong mayor measure on the June ballot, Merchant said.
The mayor gave up on the idea of the June ballot in February, saying at the time that council members were not backing a June timeline.
Read the old draft and Merchant’s note here.
Johnson’s campaign referred to the old draft as the “Collaborative Reform Package,” and calls the new version the “Accountability Plan of 2010.”
The old draft is “inaccurate, incomplete, and outdated,” Merchant said.
The campaign is now using a draft written by Liane Randolph of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Sacramento, and J. Clark Kelso, a law professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. The attorneys volunteered to write the draft, according to Merchant.
Read the current draft of Johnson’s proposal here.
Before Kelso and Randolph wrote their June 30 draft of Johnson’s proposal, Johnson had said he wanted City Attorney Eileen Teichert to write the plan’s official language.
But at a June 22 meeting, the City Council voted 7-2 to prevent Teichert from writing a formal draft.
The Sacramento Press requested a copy of the old draft on June 2 after Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek mentioned it in a June 1 interview.
Johnson’s office did not e-mail the old draft to The Sacramento Press until July 2.
Kelso and Randolph’s version proposes that elected officials and appointed members of city boards should adhere to an ethics code.
The old draft does not provide any information about an ethics code.
Both the old and new drafts call for the mayor to take over the chief executive role of the city manager. The mayor would be responsible for drafting the city’s budget under both versions.
The old draft proposed a two-term limit on City Council members and the mayor. By contrast, the new draft would prevent council members and the mayor from serving more than three terms. Both drafts would define each term as a four-year period.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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BrooksTruitt
July 8, 2010 | 10:02 AM
Perhaps if Mayor Johnson shifted focus from drafts of ballot language to what he thinks the city needs and how meeting needs is impeded by the city charter. The office of mayor provides an excellent platform for municipal leadership. He should use it to develop a consensus on needs and ways to meet them. Then community can decide what if any charter changes may be required.
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Rich E.
July 8, 2010 | 1:23 PM
so how can he do this? how do you know he isn't or hasn't done it on top of working on this initiative?
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Geoffrey Sakala
July 8, 2010 | 4:55 PM
If Sacramento wants to become a world class city we need a strong mayor to lead it. Period. If the State Legislature or US Congress have shown us anything about politicians it's that they would much rather debate and win political battles than get things done. Every successful organization whether it be a sports team, non-profit, company, or government needs a strong leader in charge with the capability to make tough decisions. Those which don't lose, run poorly, fail, or flounder in red tape. Isn't that why we elect a Mayor? Who cares about this draft or that draft and what was scribbled on a piece of paper. Let's elevate the discussion to one of the Big Picture need for the Sacramento Metro area to step up and become a World Class city with great Performing Arts, Theater, Sports Performances, Amazing Recreation, and a 21st Century economy which is creating jobs, wealth, and a higher quality of life.
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