While there are some differences in the role of mayor and council member in Watertown's council/manager form of government, its also very much true you don't have to be mayor to initiate and lead on issues.
Some cases of that this year include Councilman Joe Butler Jr's spearheading of a noise ordinance. He advanced the idea and pushed for it until he had built a consensus to get it passed. He showed similar leadership in his participation in the deliberations over a city clerk.
Meanwhile, City Councilwoman Roxanne Burns stepped up recently on the dog issue and earlier this year in proposing and pushing for an independent audit that led to a reorganization of the parks and recreation operation.
Whether you agree with their stance on these issues, they showed that individual councilmembers can do as much as a mayor in advancing and achieving an agenda.
The mayor is expected to perform additional ceremonial and other duties that are time consuming, but there is absolutely no reason the public should not expect to see a record of legislative accomplishment from their mayor and council members.
My point is the title doesn't bestow "leadership and vision." It's the person making things happen regardless of their title.
The small size of the body, its non-partisan form, and the equal authority of the five members doesn't necessarily relegate anyone to being a back bencher...unless they choose to be.
5 comments:
Good point. Smith doesn't alway step up to the job. He picks at it. He won't have the time from his work to have the job. If you think so...ask him. I can't see how a person who has to see people all day on at set times will be able to just leave and go to meetings for our city. He can't just tell Ms. Esterhouse that she has to wait for treatment. So the city will be put on the back burner.
That in my book can't be allowed to happen.
What remarkable self discipline it takes to run for office against someone like Smith. I would not be able to bite my tongue as well as Graham has been able to.
Conspicuously missing from this blog entry is what, if any, issues Smith has spearheaded in his political career. Anyone who would vote for Smith knowing what he has tried to accomplish in politics has got to be doing it out of spite for Graham and nothing more.
You won t get any of our votes and we ll work hard to make sure none of others also. You only post what u like, that s biased mr graham and that s how u run the city.
I will admit to bias as this is my personal blog. I certainly am not going to build an audience so others can use the site to rip me.
Doing that would indicate very poor judgement on my part.
Come on. Can't you bash yourself some? :) I can't wait to years from now to have a roast for you.
Post a Comment