[RP TownTalk] Change in Government

[Sarah Wayland]

Hi Bob,

I can't answer all of your excellent questions, but here's some of what I
can offer:

You asked:

*** Question - Is there an overall plan?
*** Questions - If there is, what is the concept? what are the details?

Here's a list of the duties for the Town Manager as laid out in the
legislation. These are all new - added to clarify who will support which
duties.

c)  The town manager shall:

(1) Be  the  chief  executive  and  operating  officer  of  the  town  and
 see  that  its ordinances  are  faithfully executed,  and  be  the  head
 of  the  administrative  branch  of  the  town government.

(2) Appoint  and  remove  all  subordinate  officers  and  employees  of
 the  town  in accordance with the rules and regulations of any merit
system adopted by the council.

(3) Appoint and  remove department  heads  with  approval  by  affirmative
 vote  of  a majority of the entire council, subject to the terms of any
employment contract providing for severance benefits in the event of
removal.

(4) Provide  employment  contracts  to  department  heads  subject  to
 approval  by  the town council.

(5) Make  an  annual  report  to  the  council  and  to  the  public  on
 the  condition  of municipal affairs.

(6) Make  recommendations  to  the  council  as  needed  for  the  public
 good  and welfare of the town.

(7) Prepare an annual budget to be submitted to the council.

(8) Be  the  chief  financial  officer  of  the  town,  unless  the  town
 manager  appoints  a chief  financial  officer  subject  to  the
 supervision  of  the  town  manager.  The  financial  powers  of  the
town, except as otherwise provided for in this charter, shall be exercised
by the town manager or by a chief  financial  officer  that  the  town
 manager  appoints.    The  chief  financial  officer  shall  have  the
following duties and responsibilities:

     (a) Supervise  and  be  responsible  for the  disbursement  of  all
 monies  and have control over all expenditures to assure that budget
appropriations are not exceeded.
     (b) Maintain  a  general  accounting  system  for  the  town  in  the
 form  as  the council may require, but not contrary to state law.
     (c) Submit  at  the  end  of  each  fiscal  year  and  at  such  other
 times  as  the council may require a complete financial report to the
council.
     (d) Ascertain  that  all  taxable  property  with  the  town  is
 assessed  for taxation.
     (e) Collect  all  taxes,  special  assessments,  license  fees,
 liens,  and  all  other revenues  of  the  town  and  all  other revenues
 for  whose  collection  of  the  town  is  responsible,  and receive any
funds receivable by the town.
     (f) Have custody of all public monies, belonging to or under control
of the town, except for funds in the control of any set of trustees, and
have custody of all bonds and notes of the town.

(9) Arrange for taking minutes of all town council legislative meetings and
keeping a full and accurate account of the proceedings of the council.

(10) Be  the  town’s  personnel  manager,  unless  the  town  manager
 appoints  a personnel manager subject to the supervision of the town
manager.

(11) Do  such  other  things  as  the  council  may  require  or  as  may
 be  required elsewhere in this charter.

*** Question - If there is a plan, How well thought out is this plan?

I can assure you (as the spouse of CM Thompson) that countless hours have
been devoted to try to get this *draft* in good shape. They have consulted
with the town attorney to make sure that it passes legal muster.

I highlight the word "draft" because that's what it is: a draft. There is
an expectation that there will be debate and discussion and revisions will
be made in light of those discussions.

That's why this discussion is so important!

*** Question - If other alternatives have not been considered, why is there
a rush to change the governance process so hastily, without the
socialization of the proposal

There is no rush. They want to get this right. Alan wrote about this in
last month's Town Crier.

They are putting the draft legislation forward for public comment now. (And
they are getting it, which is good!) The expectation is that the citizens
can work with the council to propose changes and work through the details
as much as needed until the legislation makes sense and does what will be
in the best interest of the town. At that point, the council can vote on
it. We have over two months to work with them on this (per the note from
Jessica Barnes.)

I'll let others who have more data than me answer your other questions.

-Sarah
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