Proposition 2 of the Proposed City Charter Amendments Deserves a "Against" Vote
From giving the Fad Five Control of Who Sits on Boards and Commission to Allowing 5 City Reps at a Time to Travel on the City's Dime to Restricting Public Notice, Prop. 2 is Bad News
Don't let the words in capitals scare you.
INTENT:
Clearly an intent to further dilute the power of the mayor and rest in the hands of City Manager Joyce Wilson. This amendment assures the cabal of continued control in the event someone from their faction does not win the mayoral position or any of the city representative slots. As long as they have majority (Noe, Niland, Lilly and whoever can replace Sucia and/or Silly Socks), they can continue to impose their agenda.
What this amendment does:
3. This amendment lets City Council cancel up to 7 meetings because the council has had trouble making quorum. Apparently, they want to travel on the taxpayers dime 5 at time so they cannot always make a quorum for a council meetings. Also they want to be able to cancel the council meetings during the summer when they have budget meetings. In other words -- these people do not want to work full time -- not one of them puts in close to 40 hours as it is.
From giving the Fad Five Control of Who Sits on Boards and Commission to Allowing 5 City Reps at a Time to Travel on the City's Dime to Restricting Public Notice, Prop. 2 is Bad News
Proposition
2
SHALL SECTIONS 3.5 A AND D, 3.7, 3.9
B AND C, 3.14, 3.18 AND 4.1 B OF THE CITY CHARTER BE AMENDED, RELATING TO CITY
COUNCIL PROCESSES, PROCEDURES, AND APPOINTMENTS: TO ALLOW FOR THE CANCELATION
OF NOT MORE THAN SEVEN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS ANNUALLY AND NOT MORE THAN TWO
IN A ROW; TO ALLOW THE COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE LEASES OF PUBLIC PROPERTY AND
TEMPORARY USES OF STREETS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY BY RESOLUTION; TO PROVIDE THAT
ORDINANCES AND THE CITY CODE BE MADE AVAILABLE BY CONTEMPORARY MEANS SUCH AS
THE INTERNET; TO PROVIDE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY IS APPOINTED BY THE CITY
COUNCIL SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF LEGAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS; AND TO
PROVIDE THAT THE MAYOR AND REPRESENTATIVES EACH UNIFORMLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS?
Don't let the words in capitals scare you.
INTENT:
Clearly an intent to further dilute the power of the mayor and rest in the hands of City Manager Joyce Wilson. This amendment assures the cabal of continued control in the event someone from their faction does not win the mayoral position or any of the city representative slots. As long as they have majority (Noe, Niland, Lilly and whoever can replace Sucia and/or Silly Socks), they can continue to impose their agenda.
What this amendment does:
1. Allows City Council to approve leases of city property by resolution rather than ordinance. This in effect removes the 2 (or 3 ?) week public notice and hearing requirement. This was a nuisance to City Manager Joyce Wilson when she wanted to push through the property lease quickly for the Downtown stadium and could not because it had to be done by ordinance. It's away of circumventing the public by use of short (i.e 72 hour) notice.
Remember city council has council meetings other than on Tuesdays where they are voting on stuff.
2. Currently, each city council rep can appoint a of his or her choice to boards and commission. This is not ideal as we have noted (Hispanics Not Wanted on City of El Paso Boards and Commissions), most appointment are White, live north of the freeway or on the Westside, and furthermore, don't live in the district the representative represents.
This amendment makes it even worse.
Appointments to city boards and commissions by entire council circumvents single-member district representation.
The charter allows each rep to appoint to boards which is then approved on the consent agenda. If the rep is respectful of representative government then they appoint residents from their district. Anyway that is the current intent and purpose of single-member district so you don't have boards comprised of only Kern residents making decisions on recommendations for everyone else.
This amendment purposely introduces ambiguity and essentially allows a voting block to control who gets to sit on boards like the CPC and Civil Service Commission.
It is about control of representation. Some think they deserve more than others.
3. This amendment lets City Council cancel up to 7 meetings because the council has had trouble making quorum. Apparently, they want to travel on the taxpayers dime 5 at time so they cannot always make a quorum for a council meetings. Also they want to be able to cancel the council meetings during the summer when they have budget meetings. In other words -- these people do not want to work full time -- not one of them puts in close to 40 hours as it is.
