[img]1307|left|Ms. Meghan Sahli-Wells||no_popup[/img]Meghan Sahli-Wells wanted to be realistic this morning about her promotion.
Kind of, but not religiously, following the dictates of the City Charter – that would take longer than any of us has – the City Council creatively adhered to a general rotation policy outline last evening.
They voted the hard-working Ms. Sahli-Wells to Vice Mayor on the first day of her second year on the City Council last evening.
While the days are dead when the name of America’s Vice President only was known by his wife and some of his children, it’s different with the Council’s most active activist in and out of Council Chambers.
“It feels great,” Vice Mayor Sahli-Wells said on her first full day with a new title. “I am really looking forward to it.”
With a sprinkling of self-deprecation.
“You feel like you are the mayor’s apprentice,” she said with a laugh.
Will the vice mayorship reorder her day-to-day routine?
“Other than moving chairs (on the dais) and hopefully being mayor next year at this time, I don’t think so.
“Our mayor is largely symbolic. Running a meeting has value because it can change an outcome,” Ms. Sahli-Wells said.
She noted that new Mayor Jeff Cooper’s attendance record is “pretty good,” so she does not expect to have many opportunities to practice playing mayor.
“I will be paying more attention,” she said, “especially observing Robert’s Rules of Order. I have flipped through them. But it’s another thing to know them by heart.”
Can Ms. Sahli-Wells use her new office to more authoritatively promote her numerous community interests, among which are outlawing fracking, advocating a smoke-free environment, plastic bag ban, and safe, non-car travel to school?
“Since the vice mayor’s office doesn’t have any extra power, the answer would be no. Practically speaking, the vice mayor has no more power than anyone else.”
In the spirit of comradeship, she cited the inherent collegiality of the five Council members who have been together for a year.
“Even when we disagree, we all work as a team,” Ms. Sahli-Wells said.
Last night, moments after her attempt to re-agendize taking positions on pending gun control legislation, she bounced back and authored the first commendation for outgoing Mayor Andy Weissman before he could slip through to the next order of business.
