Let’s keep our Police Chief and Fire Chief more directly accountable to the people by keeping them directly responsible to the City Council, rather than transferring this power to a City Manager.
1. True democracy holds elected officials responsible for major decisions.
Ten years ago the Culver City Charter Committee (comprised of residents from a cross-section of the political spectrum) spent almost a year assessing what form of governance best suits the needs of the people in Culver City.
The proposed Charter was put before the voters, who approved it.
(See http://www.culvercity.org/how-do-i-/learn/about-culver-city/city-charter)
The chain of command, making the City Attorney, City Manager, Police Chief and Fire Chief directly responsible to the City Council has worked well all these years!
Voting for Measure CA puts purported efficiency before democracy,
2. Fear tactic used to promote vote in favor of Measure CA.
Proponents’ specious argument is duplicitous. Under existing law, the City Manager is already the city’s Director of Emergency Services with wide ranging authority. (Read more in the Official Sample Ballot, “Argument against Measure CA,” page N LA 248 089 [8 pages before end of booklet]).
Why the pretend this chain-of-command does not exist?
3. If it isn’t broke, why fix it?
Over the past ten years I have witnessed a positive relationship develop between our residents and our Fire and Police departments. Why eliminate citizen participation through our elected officials when our communities should directly control the institutions meant to serve us?
In conclusion, I do not see how we the taxpayers benefit from this change to our City Charter. That is why I am voting No on Measure CA.
Dr. De Benedittis may be contacted at makeccsafe@gmail.com
At this time and place, I think John Nachbar could handle the responsibility of overseeing the Police and Fire chiefs, just fine. But what about the city managers in the future? There is no telling who is going to be hired in the future. But, we can take a look at past managers who ran the city. Would you want the likes of Jerry Fulwood having sole oversight of the chiefs of police and fire? I don’t think so.
Vote NO on CA!