A cautionary warning to our elected leaders

We’ve noticed a disturbing trend, over recent months, that could get out of hand.
And that is the mayor and city council inserting themselves into the decision making of the city manager.
The latest development was the mayor and some councilmembers interviewing candidates for the position of police chief.
Let us say this upfront: We welcome the newly appointed Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri, who we are confident will make an excellent addition to the department, and whose hiring marks an important historical moment for the city.
(He has been a top-ranking officer in the New York Police Department, and will be the city’s first Yemeni-American and Muslim police chief.)
What disturbs us, however, is elected officials acting like they have administrative duties.
The city charter is clear about what role the city manager plays, as well as the roles of the mayor and city council.
Chapter 5-01, (section f) spells it out:
“All appointed department heads shall be appointed by the city manager, subject to approval by a majority vote of the council and mayor-elect. ‘Department head’ shall mean the city clerk, city treasurer, police chief, fire chief, city controller, city assessor, city attorney, and such other department heads as may be established by ordinance.”
We point this out as a cautionary warning because we have seen what happens when a mayor and city council start to control a city manager’s decision-making: it leads to political deadlock and paralysis.
You have to have faith in the city manager. Now, if elected officials lose that faith, well, that’s a different issue.
Let the city manager make their decision on who should be a part of their administrative team, and then present their choice to the city council. Yes, the city charter calls for final approval by the council, but that comes after the city manager presents their recommendation.
The wording of the resolution approving the new chief says it’s a recommendation made by the mayor and council – not the city manager.
Certainly, input from the mayor and council on what qualities they desire for candidates for such an important role as police chief is welcomed, and even encouraged.
However, overstepping the lines of authority didn’t really work out that well when the mayor and council took on outsized roles deciding who to hire as deputy city manager – a position that was created by them, and which is not in the city charter.
That person didn’t work out, and eventually agreed to a paid separation from the city.
The revised and updated city charter, adopted in 2004, purposely reduced the roles of the mayor and city council in administrating city affairs. That was to diffuse the decades-long power struggle between the mayor and council over who makes day-to-day decisions.
You have to put your trust in your city manager, and let the manager make their own decisions.
Then you can either approve or disapprove of the choice.
Posted Feb. 2, 2024