Working to Keep Our Commission Form of Government
Vote NO on Charter Change on Election Day in November
Abolishing and setting up a whole new form of government is expensive, disruptive, and challenging under the best of circumstances. Imagine doing this during a pandemic and national economic crisis equal to the Great Depression!
Changing our form of government for a more expensive and less stable option is an unneeded and dangerous risk. We should not be spending time and resources conducting a search for a City Manager during this extreme economic and health crisis. Our Commission form of government has used its disaster plan to successfully run our city when forced out of City Hall by a fire, has guided the City during a pandemic, and is now working to sustain our local economy during a national crisis.
Negatives of a City Manager form of government
CHARTER CHANGE WILL MEAN A NEW GOVERNMENT THAT IS
- The charter proposal requires the hiring of a City Manager to run Saratoga Springs. $150,000 is a typical salary for City Managers plus a contract with extensive benefits. Currently our elected city officials make $14,500 a year.
- The Mayor’s salary will increase from $14,500 to $65,000 even though the responsibilities of the office decrease dramatically.
- The search for a City Manager will be expensive and a time consuming addition to City Council members’ duties particularly as the pandemic and economic crisis continue.
- The proposed charter requires a Transition Task Force which will retain a lawyer and have expenses paid by taxpayers. (proposed charter sec.8:09A)
- The proposed charter calls for a Reapportionment Commission to draw Ward boundaries. The Commission can hire a staff and members’ expenses will be paid–again by taxpayers. (proposed charter sec.6:03B)
- The new government will require additional staffing at an unknown cost. While the Commissioners’ and their Deputies’ positions will be abolished, their duties cannot be absorbed by existing staff and will require the creation of unbudgeted new positions which the City Manager has the authority to create. All of this adds to the city’s budget in a time of national economic crisis when the city is faced with difficult decisions to cut spending and current staff.
- The City Manager will serve at the pleasure of the City Council and will be expensive to replace whether they are fired for political reasons or decide to leave for a better paying position in a larger city. Buying out a contract, paying an interim appointment to manage the city, conducting a search for a replacement, and paying someone to move to Saratoga Springs will all be necessary expenses for refilling this office. Under our Commission form we now have a simple, free way of hiring and firing city officials—elections.
- The City Manager can be chosen from anywhere in the country and once hired, does not have to live in the city. How knowledgeable will they be about our community?
- The unelected City Manager is in charge of running all aspects of city government. Elected city officials can only “deal with city officers and city employees…solely through the city manager” [proposed charter sec.2:08 C].
- Citizens with a concern will no longer have direct access to those who deliver services. They will have to speak to their Ward Representative on the City Council who will then have to speak to the City Manager who will then (maybe) speak to the department head about their concern.
- Under the charter proposal we will only be able to elect the Mayor and one of the six Council members, none of whom will be supervising city government. Only the City Manager who is not accountable to voters will be in charge of making our city function.