CSC Final Vote!

After 8 months we finally get to the meeting that matters. On Wednesday night, Hillsborough's Charter Study commissioners had their final deliberations leading up to their recommendation for a new form of government.

Commissioner Bill Page started things off at this poorly attended meeting by comparing and contrasting the Mayor-Council (MC) form and the Mayor-Council-Administrator (MCA) form. He concluded, that although the forms had many similarities, he prefers the MCA form because the mayor presides over council meetings and therefore the whole government is together and available to the public.

Commissioner George Ostergren reiterated his preference for the MC form, stressing the need for strong checks and balances. He also stated that although it has been said that his mind has been made up from the start, that isn't exactly true. Yes, he was biased towards the MC form because of his decade long research into the topic, but he was "willing to sit here and listen" for 8 months, and his mind was open to other opinions.

Commission Chairman Chris Jensen disfavors MCA because there are no options available. He said that one day Hillsborough might want to have wards, or non-partisan elections, or a different number of council members - but that would require changing the form of government once again. He is in favor of the Mayor-Council form because it allows options to be changed as the town evolves.

Commissioner Glenn van Lier strongly desires the separation of powers that are inherent in the Mayor-Council form. He believes the town needs a mayor that "has authority - the buck stops here". He also likes the idea that the directly elected mayor in the MC form serves four years, unlike the appointed mayor of the Township Committee who might serve only one.

Commissioner Gloria McCauley is opposed to the Mayor-Council form because it is too much of a big-city form of government: "it does not make sense to take something that works and turn it upside down". She recommends a special charter which would follow from the Township Committee and MCA forms, and have a directly elected mayor.

At this point a motion was made to recommend the Mayor-Council form of government. The vote was as follows:

George Ostergren - yes

Gloria McCauley - no

Glenn van Lier - yes

Bill Page - no

Chris Jensen - yes

After a short recess, the commissioners added the following options to their recommendation:

1. At Large Council members - no wards

2. Partisan Elections

3. Staggered Terms (elections every two years for four year seats)

And after a lengthy discussion about whether to have five or seven

4. Five Council Members

So there you have it. What do you think of the recommendation, and the job that the commissioners did? Let me know in the comments section.