PIEDMONT CITY COUNCIL TO HOST TOWN HALL MEETING ON POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO THE PIEDMONT CITY CHARTER
Monday, June 25, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers
Comments in this article are in response to the City’s public notice and were written by the Piedmont Civic Association aggregating some of the comments by Piedmonters knowledgeable and concerned about the proposed Piedmont City Charter changes.
The City’s meeting notice was provided by Piedmont City Administrator Paul Benoit and John Tulloch City Clerk /Assistant City Administrator, a recently created position,
Town Hall Meeting – Monday, June 25
“The Piedmont City Council will hold a town hall meeting on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers to receive public input on possible amendments to the City Charter, which may be placed before the voters at the City’s General Municipal Election in November 2018.”
“The discussion of possible Charter amendments began in June 2017 and Council has subsequently discussed the issue at meetings on February 5, 2018, March 5, 2018, April 30, 2018, and June 4, 2018.”
BIG CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER
The proposed City Charter changes were devised by the City Administrative staff and the Piedmont City Council to potentially be voted upon by the Piedmont electorate at the General Election in November 2018. For the proposed changes to take effect, Piedmont voters must approve the changes. All portions of the Charter were not considered in the Charter review. For instance, Piedmont’s method of borrowing money was not taken up, nor was a clarification on the controversial zoning language in the Charter. Also, when a mayor recently resigned, the Council arbitrarily created a new position outside of the Charter called an “Acting Mayor.” These items and others were not addressed in the proposed changes.
A number or Piedmonters and the Piedmont League of Women Voters had asked the Council to involve the community in the City Charter changes, however all considerations were made at the Council level garnering little public participation and no input from City commissions, committees, or a special committee charged with assessing potential City Charter changes.
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES
Administrative changes, although de-emphasized in the City’s presentations on proposed Charter changes, represent the greatest alterations to Piedmont’s form of City Administrator government. Piedmont has had the City Administrator form of government for generations, and most would agree Piedmont has done well during those many years under the City Administrator form of government. As will be read below, authority historically held by the City Council is being transferred to the City Administrator.
The proposals to change the City Charter would take authority from the City Council and transfer it to the City Administrator.
The Council would retain authority to hire Department Heads, such as the Police Chief, City Clerk, Fire Chief, Finance Director, but the Council could not fire their appointees. The Department Head termination authority would be granted solely to the City Administrator, presenting a new and different complexity to Piedmont governance.
The City Administrator in Piedmont, by the current Charter language, has the responsibility for the administration of the City – the day to day operations and administration of the City. The City Administrator reports to the Council on employee performance. The current Charter language states the Council can direct top managers, however the Charter also makes it clear the Council members are not administrators and as individuals cannot act to “direct” the managers or the City Administrator.
Taking the authority to direct Department Heads from the Council, as a whole, and bestowings the authority solely upon the City Administrator, is governance commonly considered a City Manager form of government with a directly elected mayor, which Piedmont does not have,. In Piedmont, the Council appoints from their members an individual to be Piedmont’s Mayor. Piedmont’s mayor has essentially the same authority as the other four Council members other than what is allowed by the Charter or granted by the Council. In recent years, Council observers have noted more authority has been given by the City Administrator to mayors than the Charter allows without consideration by the Council as a whole.
UNLIMITED RESERVES
The original idea for reviewing the City Charter arose at a Council meeting when it became apparent Piedmont revenues greatly exceeded the Annual Budget 25% limit in the General Fund Reserve. One or more Council members wanted to accumulate larger amounts of money in the General Fund Reserve. The Charter limit on reserves was intended to stop Councils from excessively taxing Piedmont property owners.
Much of the increase in Piedmont revenues stems from the sale of property resulting in transfer taxes and a higher basis on Piedmont property taxes. To retain the excess revenues when the 25% General Fund Reserve limit had been met, the Council has directed the excess revenue into various newly established reserve funds, At the same time, the City Council has continued to levy the full voter approved property tax, plus an annual percentage increase regardless of the windfall tax revenues. The practice of placing excess revenues into special reserve funds has been put into practice without changing the City Charter.
The following language in quotes is from the City notice followed by PCA comments:
“At its June 4th meeting, the City Council directed staff to schedule a town hall meeting in order to allow residents an additional opportunity to review the changes that have been discussed at previous Council meetings. This is an opportunity for residents to ask questions and express their opinions on the proposed Charter amendments prior to the Council placing a measure on the November ballot.”
Unlike past reviews of the City Charter, there has been no comprehensive look at the entire Charter nor an independent committee focused on the pros and cons of the proposed Charter changes.
Presumably, the Council does not want to put something on the ballot that is likely to be rejected by Piedmont voters. Yet, the Town Hall Meeting comes after Council decisions have essentially been made regarding proposed changes to the City Charter. The Council must now decide if their proposals will be accepted by Piedmont voters and if it is timely to place the proposals before the voters. Each time the Charter is placed on a ballot, it incurs cost for the City.
“Because the Charter is effectively the City of Piedmont’s constitution, the City Council wants to receive as much resident input as possible on the proposed amendments.”
The Town Hall meeting will not include a comprehensive discussion and exchange of ideas on the Charter changes – the pros and cons – for each public speaker is typically given only 3 minutes to address even this voluminous subject. Decisions were made by the City Council and staff on the proposals to be considered at the meeting.
Depending on citizen input on the proposals, the Council may or may not decide to place the changes on the November ballot. The Council could defer action pending further consideration of unintended consequences and/or benefits to Piedmont.
Some of the proposed amendments to the Charter are as follows: [The order of the City changes has been changed here to prioritize important issues first. The most significant proposed changes were previously placed by the City staff toward the end of their announcement, which might lead readers to assume the administrative changes are minor.]
- ” In Article 3 – Administration, several changes are proposed to clarify reporting structure for the Officers of the City (Department Heads). At the April 30th meeting, Council directed staff to clarify sections in this article to make clear that the City Council appoints Department Heads, but that they are directed by and serve at the pleasure of the City Administrator.”
This is one of the most important, if not the most important change being proposed to the City Charter. The above statement by the City hints at the split authority of the Council. For example, the Council would appoint Department Heads, but the Council could not dismiss problem Department Heads, creating confusion and potential problems for the City Administrator, who would be the sole authority in dismissal, “serve at the pleasure of the City Administrator.”
Department Heads in Piedmont have always served at the pleasure of the City Council and could be directed by the Council as a whole, but not by individual Council members. For example, the Council might direct the Police Chief to step up night patrols: the Council might direct the Finance Director to find ways to save the City money; the Council might direct the Recreation Director to develop more programs for senior citizens. The Department Heads were held accountable to the City Council with advice from the City Administrator.
In meeting identified needs of citizens, the change proposed totally eliminates the Council’s authority to direct Department Heads. The Council authority would be transferred to the City Administrator.
Piedmont, as a small city, has thrived under the City Administrator form of government; the City Manager form of government found in other, many larger, cities, with a directly elected mayor, has the potential for creating new problems regarding Council authority and responsiveness to citizens.
- ” In Section 4.03, the limit on the General Fund Reserve of 25% is proposed for removal. In addition, an aspirational minimum for the General Fund Reserve of 15% of the General Fund operating budget is inserted.”
The General Fund Reserve limit of 25% originated from concern to not levy more taxes than was necessary to operate the City while providing an emergency reserve during an economic slump or great emergency. The City Council and City staff in recent years have diverted excess revenues from the significant property and transfer tax windfall into various fund reserves. There is no language proposed to limit the Council’s ability to tax property owners.
- ” In Section 4.11, bidding requirements are changed to remove a low threshold for costly formal bidding requirements, rather leaving it to the Council to set the thresholds for formal bidding by ordinance.”
Bidding requirements are one way to publicly open up the procurement of public services, consultants, contractors, and other City needs rather than continuing with current contractors on a long term basis without going through an open bidding process. Most cities and the state encourage open bidding to benefit taxpayers and the community at large.
- “The Council also directed staff to prepare amendments to several other sections of the Charter to remove outdated provisions and modernize language.”
This part of the City Charter proposals presents many questions for it is largely unidentified. What provisions and what antiquated language? Why not list the outdated provisions? New Department Head positions have been added with no general public notice. Is Piedmont’s bureaucracy inadequate to serve our small community? Once new positions are added to the Charter, employment cost can be greater and more permanent.
- ” A modification of City Council term limits to lengthen the period of time during which a former Councilmember is ineligible to run for office again from four to eight years after leaving office. (Section 2.03)”
The change listed above is of little impact for the City Council has only had two Council contenders seeking re-election after a 4 years hiatus. One contender was elected, the other was not. Changing this in the Charter is of debatable value.
- “An amendment to the provision for filling of vacancies on the City Council to allow the Council sixty days to fill a vacancy. If the Council doesn’t act within those sixty days, a special election would be called to fill the vacancy. Under current provision, the Council has thirty days to make an appointment and if it doesn’t act, the Mayor can make an appointment. (Section 2.05(c))”
A thirty day period in which to fill a vacant Council seat is common for elective bodies. Waiting 60 days to fill a vacant seat potentially leaves the Council vulnerable to inaction on important civic issues when there are only four members of the Council and a split vote occurs. There has never been a time when the Council could not fill a vacant seat during the mandated thirty day period.
- ” A requirement that the Council hold two regular meetings per month is eliminated. The proposed language would require the City Council to hold meetings on a regular basis. (Section 2.07 (a))\”
Councils throughout the area hold two or more regular Council meetings per month. Language could be proposed to accommodate changes in schedules.
- ” The proposed amendments also modernize the prohibition against employment discrimination to include all classes protected under U.S. and state law. (Section 5.02)”
