This November Hillsborough residents will be asked to vote on a proposal to change their form of government from the Township Committee form to the Mayor-Council Form. The Charter Study Commission is currently working on an informational flyer which they intend to mail to households in October.
I'm not sure what information will be contained in the flyer, but there is a lot of information in the CSC final report - including what the CSC feels are the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed Mayor-Council form.
The following was taken directly from page 22 of the final report.
Strengths
1. Presidential System of Government
a. Separation of Powers
b. Checks and Balances - Veto Power
c. Mayor Elected by People - Accountable
2. Initiative & Referendum
3. One Chief Executive
4. Consistent Governing
5. Elections Not Every Year - Less Distraction
6. Partisan or Non-Partisan – Choice
7. Most Efficient with One CEO
8. Clearly Delineated Responsibilities
Weaknesses
1. More Complex - Larger Government
2. Mayor Not Required at Meetings
3. Except for Recall - Mayor for 4 Years
4. Council Cannot Interact with Staff
5. Potential Turnover of Staff
6. Confusing for Residents
7. Elevated Potential for Conflicts
8. Possible Stalemate in Government
9. Too Much Power in Part-Time Mayor
Personally I find the weaknesses here to be formidable - and from this list alone, I can't see how the CSC could possibly have recommended Mayor-Council. But of course there's more to it than just this list - maybe the Township Committee form is so terrible that it just has to go. We'll take a look at that tomorrow.
About Strength Number 6
ReplyDelete6. Partisan or Non-Partisan – Choice
Would it not also be correct to say?
6a. Wards or No Wards – Choice.
Or maybe that should be list under Weaknesses
10. Wards or No Wards – Choice.
Also, are they tipping their hat when they say: 9. Too Much Power in Part-Time Mayor? Does that mean if we vote in the MC form we’ll need a full time Mayor to make it work correctly?
That is what they said isn’t?
They didn't mean it that way. I was at the meetings, you weren't, and not every nuance is captured on the tape. Those negatives were put there as POTENTIAL negatives, meaning that if anyone perceived an item to be a negative, it was listed.
ReplyDeleteI am quite sure that in the part time mayor case, they mean simply that it is a lot of power for a part-time position, not that this means it should be made a full-time position. Just noting the nature of that form Vs say, Council Manager or MCA.