More reasons to vote Yes.
The key question to be answered by this proposal is whether changing Lewiston’s form of government to Mayor-Council from Council-Manager is best for our City:
The proposed change in government is being conveyed as a way to increase accountability in governance. This idea is simply untrue. Currently every decision, check written and e-mail sent is open for scrutiny by the City Council, and at a moment’s notice, the City Manager could be removed. Under a Mayor-Council form of government, the Council would be left with little recourse to reign in a mayor’s abuse of power aside from an expensive and cumbersome recall or waiting for an election that is only permitted at certain times of the year.
A Mayor, under the Mayor-Council form of government, would control the City Council agenda, hiring and firing of City personnel, and preparation of the budget. Currently the City Manager performs these same duties, but has been selected based on education, defined qualifications and extensive City management experience. He/she is appointed by, works under the direction of, and is held accountable by the City Council. Under the proposal, the only qualifications a mayoral candidate must possess include being a U.S. citizen, a resident for 30 days, 18 years of age and a registered voter. Lewiston deserves guaranteed experience when dealing with a multi-million-dollar budget.
The increased costs under the proposal are substantial. Not only would the Mayor be paid $80,000 per year, plus approximately 40 percent in benefits, but would likely require a City Administrator who would receive an advanced salary and a second set of benefits. Amending the entire City Code, policies and plans would also be required and would be extremely expensive and time-consuming. The upheaval and learning curve of the proposed transition would cost the City greatly in the efficiency of its processes and would be repeated again after the next mayoral election and every four years thereafter. A City Manager, however, brings long-term stability.
A study performed by Kimberly L. Nelson and Whitney B. Afonso, Public Administration Review, states that local governments led by City Managers are 57 percent less likely to have corruption. When power is concentrated into one role it can be prone to abuse. The current form of government equally disperses power across seven elected councilors which makes it harder for any one councilor to engage in activities that endanger Lewiston residents.