In the tradition of politicians fighting to retain power over a shrinking domain, a minority of City Council members has resisted surrendering its authority over the police and fire departments to the city manager this summer.
Trying to block the power transfer to the (unelected) executive who has control over all other City Hall departments is an old story.
As chair of the 10-person Charter Review Committee a decade ago, former Councilman Andy Weissman recalled that the Committee’s initial instinct was to follow logic. They would shift the hiring/firing power over first responders to the city manager as that new form of Culver City government was introduced.
“But over the course of six months between 2005 and 2006, the Committee majority changed their minds,” Mr. Weissman said. “This happened after listening to present and former City Council members. They decided to leave the hiring and firing power the way it was, with the Council.”
Were the opinions of Committee members objective?
Since each Council member appointed two members, did some Committee selectees feel beholden to the views of their mentors?
As the community has been reminded numerous times this summer, the Charter Review Committee’s final recommendation, to leave power in the hands of the Council is contrary to the national model of city manager-led communities.
The original intention of the Charter Review Committee “was to make a key change in how the city was governed,” Mr. Weissman said.
However, a not-so-funny thing happened on the way to change.
“There was (significant) opposition on the committee to transferring authority over police and fire,” said Mr. Weissman.
The Committee’s fear was that voters would be as divided on the matter as they were. That would wreck the Committee’s overarching intention, to retool the City Charter.
“Ultimately,” said Mr. Weissman, “in the interest of attracting unanimous support for the entire charter, we decided to leave the hiring and firing with the Council.”
Unlike the ballot situation this coning November, voter approval of the major changes in the City Charter in 2006 was all or nothing. Endorse all or reject all. No buffet menu here.
