The City Council applied several refining touches to the design for its first-ever Financial Advisory Committee at last evening’s meeting, underscoring the adjective “advisory.”
Originally intended, narrowly, to counsel the Council on how to apportion funds from Measure Y, the half-cent sales tax increase on the Nov. 6 ballot, the resident-based group now will have a wider focus and become a permanent feature.
The strongest sign that green lights lie ahead was that Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells, the most avid advocate for the committee, walked away with a smile after a unanimous vote on the final touches.
The first roster of up to nine members – three residents, three businesspersons, two delegates from City Hall and one from the school community – is scheduled to be chosen in January.
With a one-time exception, committee members will serve four-year terms. However, four members from the first roster will serve 18-month terms to accommodate the start of regular turnover.
Both refinements approved by the City Council involved City Hall selectees. Councilman Jim Clarke suggested that the labor union delegate seat rotate among members of the Culver City Employees Assn., and the police and fire unions.
Ms. Sahli-Wells said the City Hall management delegate “should not be from the Finance Dept. or the City Manager’s department so we can keep a healthy distance, a healthy balance.
“Finance already will have a seat at the table,” she reasoned, “because they are in charge of the committee. It would be redundant to have someone from there because then you would wind up with two Finance representatives.
“You don’t want it to be lopsided but nice and balanced. You want to give input to the kind of people who generally don’t have it.
“That is why I didn’t want the City Manager’s office at the table. They are already pretty much at the top.”
Goran Eriksson, Board Chair of the Chamber of Commerce, said he was pleased the Financial Advisory Committee was finalized before the community votes on Measure Y.
