Strong Mayor or City Manager for Homestead?
If you had the choice to choose the form of government for our city, would you want a City Manager selected by our entire City Council, or would you want an "Executive Mayor" elected by the voters of Homestead?
Presently, our Homestead Charter calls for a City Manager form of government... and there in lies the rub! Only a charter change on the ballot, voted for by our citizens, can replace our city manager with a strong mayor.
In Miami-Dade County, some cities have a strong mayor (e.g. Florida City ) and some have a professional manager (e.g. Homestead ). Politics and personalities aside, both cities have been adequately served by their governments.
That begs the question - why change the system if it ain't broke? Is Homestead a unique city? Does Homestead have characteristics that make it more suitable to one form of government over another?
Homestead has a rapidly growing population of more than 60,000 residents at this time. And, as a city owning and operating its own utilities with hundreds of employees, including a large police force, it must have a well-educated, competent and experienced manager to give the taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck!
Therefore, our choice should be simple. Do we want the most highly-qualified professional manager running our city, or do we want a strong mayor voted into office by friends and family (fewer than 2,000 registered voters).
Dr. Jim Tranthem Homestead, Florida 5/9/2012
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