The Best Mayor is No Mayor

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

I am curious as to what others think of the idea of having a mayor run on the platform of 1 term and shutting down the office of Mayor during that term.

Instead of having a mayor, the Common Council would be expanded to 18 districts representing around 15,000 residents each. The City of Buffalo would move to a city manager form of Government.

Unlike most city manager run cities, the position of Mayor would be removed 100%, instead of having a "figurehead" mayor.

Each council position would be for 4 year terms instead of 2 and every 2 years 9 of the council seats would be open for election.


I know this has been discussed before but the reason I bring this up now is there appears to be a split in the Democratic party in the COB. While Brown won in a landslide, he still lost 38% of the vote from his own party. Also considering that several districts simply did not turnout like others.


Just curious as to what others think.

[joe d.]

I am curious as to what others think of the idea of having a mayor run on the platform of 1 term and shutting down the office of Mayor during that term.

Instead of having a mayor, the Common Council would be expanded to 18 districts representing around 15,000 residents each. The City of Buffalo would move to a city manager form of Government.

Unlike most city manager run cities, the position of Mayor would be removed 100%, instead of having a "figurehead" mayor.

Each council position would be for 4 year terms instead of 2 and every 2 years 9 of the council seats would be open for election.


I know this has been discussed before but the reason I bring this up now is there appears to be a split in the Democratic party in the COB. While Brown won in a landslide, he still lost 38% of the vote from his own party. Also considering that several districts simply did not turnout like others.


Just curious as to what others think.

THEN???...WHO?? Would cut all the ribbons at all the ceremonies??

[DomesticatedFeminist]

maybe but I am not sure about expanding the common council.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

maybe but I am not sure about expanding the common council.

Why would you be against it?

Expansion would provide more access to the voters and most likely reduce the cost of government.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

THEN???...WHO?? Would cut all the ribbons at all the ceremonies??

Well in a City Manager form of government, they have a "ribbon cutter" position. But I would like to see those ceremonies go to the council member.

Essentially you would force a fight for progress between council districts. Since their power is not tied to being on the tail of the mayor, they could be removed with much more ease.

[run4it]

Good Lord...sounds like a European style parliament with 50 different squabbling parties that can't agree on a freaking lunch menu with a Prime Minister who gets jeered any time he tries to gavel into order.

Ok, maybe not that bad.

But I'd rather not have the actual administration of the city be a political prize to whichever party (or faction) happens to gain control of the city council. I could see a manager working well in smaller towns, but I'd rather have a well balanced system in large cities like Buffalo. I have no desire to see the city council be the only representative game in town.

[cookie]

So you feel Buffalo has a well balanced system in place right now?

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Good Lord...sounds like a European style parliament with 50 different squabbling parties that can't agree on a freaking lunch menu with a Prime Minister who gets jeered any time he tries to gavel into order.

Ok, maybe not that bad.

But I'd rather not have the actual administration of the city be a political prize to whichever party (or faction) happens to gain control of the city council. I could see a manager working well in smaller towns, but I'd rather have a well balanced system in large cities like Buffalo. I have no desire to see the city council be the only representative game in town.

Just an FYI the following 19 cities all use a City Manger and are all bigger than Buffalo. Out of the 68 cities that are bigger than Buffalo, 25% use this form of government.

Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Charlotte, El Paso, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Virginia Beach, Raleigh, Colorado Springs, Arlington, Anaheim, Riverside, Stockton, Anchorage.

So I am not really sure where you are coming from when you say " I could see a manager working well in smaller towns, but I'd rather have a well balanced system in large cities like Buffalo."

The reality is the system in Buffalo is ANYTHING BUT BALANCED. You are either with the Mayor or against him. That is not balance.

[dgrzeb]

maybe but I am not sure about expanding the common council.

I agree w/dome , city manager , but leave the council at its' current level , no need to expand.........

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

I agree w/dome , city manager , but leave the council at its' current level , no need to expand.........

Really?

Take for example the Ellicott district. It covers Downtown, parts of the East Side and parts of the Lower West Side.

Those are 3 VERY DISTINCT areas of the city each with their own specific needs. To say that one person could cover all of those and serve the best interest of all businesses and residents inside it is crazy. The reality is, the needs for each of these neighborhoods clash with each other.

[dgrzeb]

Really?

Take for example the Ellicott district. It covers Downtown, parts of the East Side and parts of the Lower West Side.

Those are 3 VERY DISTINCT areas of the city each with their own specific needs. To say that one person could cover all of those and serve the best interest of all businesses and residents inside it is crazy. The reality is, the needs for each of these neighborhoods clash with each other.

Most council jobs ARE part time jobs.....they serve at their leisure......their #1 job is getting re-elected , otherwise , you'd NEVER see them......(Not ALL of them are , some are very hard working , caring members of the council , I don't want to name names..........)

[Linda_D]

Lefty, this is one of your better ideas.

I think that the expanded Common Council should also be part-time, with modest stipends (maybe $1,000 a month) rather than the outrageous salaries they now have (around $53,000+), no benies, no individual councilmanic staffs or offices, and term limits of, say, 3 terms. If nothing else, it would save the city big $$$ from patronage and benefits associated with the Common Council.

The idea of more but smaller councilmanic districts means that it's easier for independents to run and win because it's easier to gather enough siggies to get on the ballot and it's so much cheaper. By making the coucilmen/women part-time (and scheduling CC meetings in the evenings) in smaller districts, you give more citizens the opportunity to run for office. In a lot of small towns around WNY, people get voted on to town boards simply because they got the 97 or 103 signatures they needed to get on the ballot, printed up a bunch of signs, and went door-to-door talking to people in their districts.

Your idea promotes grass-roots democracy rather than machine politics. The bigger the election districts, the harder it is for independents and "outsiders" to get on the ballot and actually be successful.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Lefty, this is one of your better ideas.

A sun shines on a dogs ass

I think that the expanded Common Council should also be part-time, with modest stipends (maybe $1,000 a month) rather than the outrageous salaries they now have (around $53,000+), no benies, no individual councilmanic staffs or offices, and term limits of, say, 3 terms. If nothing else, it would save the city big $$$ from patronage and benefits associated with the Common Council.

I am 50/50 on part time politicians. Part of me thinks it is a great idea because you remove the machine and can actually look at productive citizens/business owners. I can name a couple that would fit this description on SpeakUp.

But then part of me thinks you need someone full time, who can be productive full time, who really understands the community they service. This means visiting with people throughout the day..not just after work and on weekends.

The idea of more but smaller councilmanic districts means that it's easier for independents to run and win because it's easier to gather enough siggies to get on the ballot and it's so much cheaper. By making the coucilmen/women part-time (and scheduling CC meetings in the evenings) in smaller districts, you give more citizens the opportunity to run for office. In a lot of small towns around WNY, people get voted on to town boards simply because they got the 97 or 103 signatures they needed to get on the ballot, printed up a bunch of signs, and went door-to-door talking to people in their districts.

The smaller districts for me has little to do with how one is elected. Rather, it is about how they can serve. 18 districts would put around 15k residents per district. It is not that hard to imagine that a council member could speak to every single resident that wanted a conversation in 4 years or that every business could have a meeting 2-3 times during a 4 year term.

Your idea promotes grass-roots democracy rather than machine politics. The bigger the election districts, the harder it is for independents and "outsiders" to get on the ballot and actually be successful.

Yep.

[Save Us]

Excellent idea,, except this area is extremely risk adverse to adopting new albeit tried and true principles...

We just like things the same old way here in Buffalo,, plus we are too afraid we will make mistakes,, still stinging from Rich Stadium, Amherst UB campus.

Don't even try with the elephant in the room,, consolidation

[Linda_D]

Excellent idea,, except this area is extremely risk adverse to adopting new albeit tried and true principles...

We just like things the same old way here in Buffalo,, plus we are too afraid we will make mistakes,, still stinging from Rich Stadium, Amherst UB campus.

Don't even try with the elephant in the room,, consolidation

If you are talking about political consolidation as envisioned by Kevin Gaughan and his adherents, it deserves to be kicked to the curb. It's just the opposite of Lefty's idea because it wants bigger districts, which favors political machines.

If you are talking about service consolidation like a metropolitan police force or the county providing accounting services for the towns and villages, that's another quite another thing -- and a good one. Of course, since Buffalo has been badly burned by the "consolidation" of its parks with Erie County, that doesn't put that kind of consolidation in a good light.