Systems of local government
Here are some commonly cited pros and cons of the two most common systems of local government.
A.) Council/manager
Pro: City is run by a professional city manager in a businesslike way; professional manager is thought to make decisions for efficiency rather than political reasons.
Con: Unelected manager may become too powerful; may be hard for voters to know who to hold accountable.
B.) Strong mayor
Pro: A single leader can take the initiative and voters know whom to hold accountable.
Con: Mayor may lack expertise as an administrator; concentration of power in a single elected official may lead to decisions based on politics rather than efficiency and may facilitate corruption.
Homestead’s Bateman talking about switch to strong-mayor system
There may be an initiative brewing to change Homestead’s form of city government.
By Christina Veiga
cveiga@MiamiHerald.com
Does Steve Bateman want to be strong mayor of Homestead?
That’s the story bubbling up around the city. At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, former long-time Councilman Jeff Porter finally brought the issue into the open, asking for public dialogue and input on the matter.
“It’s something that apparently is out there,” Porter said.
Answered Bateman: “I’ll be more than happy to sit down with you, because at this point it’s only a conversation.”
Bateman did not return requests for comments.
A headline on an April 1 entry on a local blog, Homesteadishome.blogspot.com, claimed: “No Joke, Mayor Bateman Pursuing ‘Strong Mayor’ Form of Government Ballot Initiative.”
The blog is run anonymously, and doesn’t offer any clue as to the source of its information regarding the supposed strong mayor initiative. Porter couldn’t say where the talk is originating from, either. But that doesn’t matter, he said.
The point of bringing the issue up publicly, Porter said, was so that residents and council members can weigh in.
“It is a total, fundamental change in the structure of government, and the more discussion we have, the better opportunity we have to come out with a proper decision,” he said.
Homestead now operates under a council/manager form of government. The City Council, with the mayor as chairman, passes laws and hires a city manager to oversee day-to-day city operations. The manager is a hired professional, and takes direction from the elected council.
Under a strong-mayor form of government, however, the mayor is the city’s chief executive officer. The City Council passes laws and the annual city budget, but the mayor may have veto power. The city of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County both have strong-mayor governments.
Changing Homestead’s form of government would require changing the city’s charter. The charter lays out the rules governing the city.
Usually, charter amendments are proposed by a committee that is put together specifically to review the city’s charter. Homestead’s charter also allows residents to petition for a change in the charter.
Either way, council members first have to approve putting the proposed amendments on a ballot, according to the city charter. If that happens, residents vote to give the ultimate approval or disapproval of the measure.
Vice Mayor Jon Burgess told The Miami Herald he’d be against a strong mayor form of government.
“I’m happy with the form of government we have now. I think it keeps the checks and balances in place,” he said.
Burgess pointed out that residents have repeatedly voted-down a four year mayoral term — he takes that to mean residents are happy with Homestead’s current form of government. The city’s mayor currently serves a two-year term. Bateman is on his second term after having been reelected in November 2011.
If Homestead were to adopt a strong-mayor form of government, city leadership could be constantly in flux, Burgess said.
“Every two years, the city could be thrown upside down,” he said.
Councilwoman Judy Waldman on Friday sent an email to Bateman asking to postpone an upcoming visioning session, where city leaders talking about upcoming goals, until the strong mayor issue is sorted out.
“I believe it wise to get clear direction on where our city government is to go, and then plan a session where we can expand on our vision,” she wrote.
For more Homestead news, follow @Cveiga on Twitter.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/20/2759675/homesteads-bateman-talking-about.html#storylink=cpy
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