Charter Committee in favor of mayor appointing manager

2009-09-05T02:18:10Z

Most of the members of a city committee examining the “strong mayor” issue are in favor of revising the city’s charter to allow the mayor to appoint the city manager. However, three of the 11 members of the city’s Charter Committee voted against the idea Thursday.

The committee’s early vote in support of the mayor’s ability to appoint the city manager means that most of the committee members think the mayor should have more power in this area. Right now, the City Council appoints the city manager.

Committee member Tina Thomas was one of the six members who favored a change to allow the mayor to appoint the city manager. “I think that when an individual is elected city-wide — after presumably a campaign about a citywide agenda that needs to be implemented — then that person needs to have somebody there who can work with him or her to implement that policy agenda,” Thomas said.

“I think that you have checks and balances by having confirmation of the council,” she added.

The Charter Committee’s preliminary recommendation supports the mayor’s ability to appoint the city manager, but the City Council would need to confirm the mayor’s candidate with a majority vote. The mayor would not be allowed to participate in the confirmation vote.

Committee member Chester Newland voted against the recommendation. Usually, the city manager “needs to work thoughtfully and on a sustained basis with the mayor,” he said. “On the other hand, a focus on a greatly empowered mayor tends basically to narrow the civic leadership of the city.”

Committee members are starting to define their ideas on the powers of the mayor and City Council. These ideas will eventually take the form of recommendations to the Sacramento City Council. Their suggestions will consist of possible changes to the city’s charter, which is similar to a constitution.

While the recommendations will be presented to the City Council, Sacramento voters will ultimately decide whether to change the city's current "council-manager" system. Voters will need to approve any changes that may be recommended by the committee. Members of the committee were unanimously appointed by the City Council in February.

Meanwhile, the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group has created a ballot measure to provide new powers to Sacramento’s mayor. In June, the group delivered to City Hall tens of thousands of signatures from residents who want a "strong mayor" city government. Earlier this summer, the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters found that the group had submitted the required 32,433 signatures in order to put the proposal on the ballot. Voters will go to the polls in June 2010 for that proposal, which is backed by Mayor Kevin Johnson.

The committee’s vote supporting the ability of the mayor to appoint the city manager is preliminary. It’s not considered a final recommendation because only six of the 11 members voted in favor of it. In order to make a final recommendation to the City Council, the committee needs seven votes in favor.

Here’s the vote breakdown:

Bill Edgar: Yes
JoAnn Fuller: No
Cecily Hastings: Yes
Grantland Johnson: No
Alan LoFoso: Yes
Robert Murphy: Yes
Chester Newland: No
Chris Tapio: Abstained from voting
John Taylor: Absent
Tina Thomas: Yes
Jay Wishan: Yes

Charter Committee deadlines for "strong mayor" study

2009-09-01T04:17:18Z

The city’s Charter Committee, which is studying the “strong mayor” issue and other topics, has a new schedule. The 11-member committee is examining the rules laid out in the city’s charter, which is similar to a constitution.

The new schedule was drafted after the City Council's Aug. 6 request that the committee move up its deadlines on the strong mayor issue. The issue is timely because voters will be asked to vote in June 2010 on a separate strong mayor proposal created by the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group.

The City Council unanimously decided to create the commission in February. The committee may recommend changes to the city charter. Any recommendations from the committee would need voter approval.

Charter Committee meetings, which begin at 6 p.m., are held in the City Council’s chambers on the first floor of City Hall at 915 I St.

Here are the dates and topics for Charter Committee meetings from September to January:

Thursday, Sept. 3: The meeting will address decision-making in the context of governance, budget, appointment authority, veto and term limits.

Monday, Sept. 21: The committee will review its draft report.

Thursday, Oct. 1: The committee will review preliminary public comments.

Monday, Oct. 19: Committee to approve final report on governance, budget, appointment authority, veto and term limits.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: The committee will deliver its final report during the City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The committee’s final report will cover governance, budget, appointment authority, veto, term limits.

Thursday, Nov. 5: The committee will discuss the following topics: full-time mayor, full-time City Council, ethics commission.

Monday, Nov. 16: The committee will address decision-making in the context of a full-time mayor, a full-time City Council, and an ethics commission.

Week of Nov. 23: The committee will approve its first supplemental report on full-time mayor, full-time City Council and ethics commission.

Tuesday, Dec. 1: The committee will deliver its first supplemental report at the Dec. 1 City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The first supplemental report covers the topics of full-time mayor, full-time City Council and an ethics commission.

Thursday, Dec. 3: The committee will discuss the elections process.

Thursday, Dec. 14: The elections process will be discussed again.

Thursday, Jan. 7: The committee will approve a second supplemental report on the elections process.

Tuesday, Jan. 19: At the 6 p.m. City Council meeting, the committee will deliver its second supplemental report on the elections process.

The committee notes that its new schedule is subject to change.

Source: The Sacramento Charter Review Committee schedule

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

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Charter Committee in favor of mayor appointing manager

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