1. Make laws and policies.
2. Sit on various committees and boards.
3. Talk with constituents about issues.
4. Develop good working relationships with officials from other jurisdictions.
5. Oversee the daily operation of the city government.
These City Council members all, or almost all, have jobs, businesses or professions to run, plus other obligations. For example, Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger also teaches at Santa Monica College.
We need our City Council members to perform the first four responsibilities. But the last has gotten much too big for a part-time Council. The chain of command is disorganized. Each department head,in effect, has five bosses. Since the bosses often disagree, the result is conflicting instructions. Over a dozen high-level staff members have left the city’s employ recently due to unsatisfactory and unprofessional conditions.
Even if they are replaced by equally competent staff, the consequences of such turnover are high cost and disruption.
Managing city finances has also become far more complex, requiring total safety with a need to earn a decent return on reserve and unspent funds. Our City Treasurer is now chosen by the public in a popularity contest.
Both these problems and other issues would be solved by Measure V (which would reform the present City Charter). Daily functions would be overseen by a full-time City Manager who replaces the current Chief Administrative Officer and who has authority over all city departments except Police, Fire and City Attorney.
The City Manager would be responsible to, hired and removed by the City Council. The City Treasurer would be selected by the City Manager after a thorough review of each candidate’s qualifications. Same for the City Clerk. This is how other well-run cities and successful businesses operate.
Measure V has many other provisions, which you can read through if you want. But the above two are by far the most significant.
The proposed new Charter was drawn up by a committee of ten members appointed by the City Council and working for a full year.
Four persons are former City Council members. One is a former high-ranking city staff member. These members especially have a clear understanding of the way our city works, the strengths and weaknesses. Their opinion deserves respect.
Bobbi Gold, Culver City
