New City Charter???

[iwasthere]

towntalk i would not WANT any RELIGIOUS men or women of the cloth on the charter review committee. i believe in the separation of church and state. majority of them live outside of ytown and very few of them live in the city of ytown. the ones that live in ytown i say thanks but no thank you. i would like to add harry meshel to the list of people on the charter review committee.

[Towntalk]

A former Mayor on City Charters.

1912 Charter discussion
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dhdIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C4EMAAAAIBAJ&dq=youngstown%20city%20charter%20vindicator&pg=1502%2C6961977

[Towntalk]

Now that you mention it, I do recall the Atlanta City Manager plan, but don't really know how it works.

Here in Youngstown though can we really trust the local politicians to get it right? I hesatate to say what I really feel about them here but will simply say that they could mess up a ***  *****, without half trying.

[Youngstownshrimp]

I believe a City in Metro Atlanta, subcontracted the management out excepting the Police and FD?  I lived in Hampton, VA right after college and Hampton was run by a City Manager.  It works because a manager is tasked to run a City like a businessman.  I see how YTown could be a problem, because the council are generally composed of unqualified members who are elected by the entitled.  I would think that a Manager can expose corruption if local council were in the act of governance influence of said manager.

[Towntalk]

Shrimp, I wouldn't even know where to start. Do you know of a city where it happened?

What disturbs me is the fact that if I read the Vindy article correctly, the public will have no input into a new city charter which tells me that the politicians will look out for themselves and not the city as a whole, and this is why a special bipartisan commission should be appointed as I proposed earlier, and their deliberations open to the public in a neutral location such as YSU or Stambaugh Auditorium, with transcripts of the meetings made available for public review on a dedecated web site, and televised live by Time Warner on one of their community channels.

30% should be from the professions; 30% from the business sector; 20% clergy; 10% private citizens; and 10% politicians. Give the politicians as little say as possable.

[Youngstownshrimp]

Towntalk, very good argument.  Yes, we cannot trust any politician coming from the ranks of the entitled unqualified politicians.  Can you research and disclose a private contractor to run the City, I recall they exist in other Cities and they work very well.

[Mary_Krupa]

TownTalk:  I would definitely not trust a City Manager hired by Council. Not in this town.

[Towntalk]

Given the sort of people the "average Joe Bag of Doughnuts" puts in office do you really think that they could get it right when it comes to drafting a new City Charter?

In the 1921 Charter there was a scheme to have a City Manager and City Council run the city. Today the powers that be not only want a City Manager who would be hired by Council and have no term limit for him, and the voters would have absolutely no say. Potentially he could run the city indefinitely. Just look at City Council ... the same people election after election ... and look at the financial condition of the city under the rule of these Council members. Would you really trust Council to hire a City Manager that would put the best interests of the city above the special interests of City Council?

[Why?Town]

I also agree with having Maggy. I also believe that we must be very careful about who is on the commission, and believe that 30% should be from the professions; 30% from the business sector; 20% clergy; 10% private citizens; and 10% politicians. Give the politicians as little say as possable.

ABOVE ALL, THIS COMMISSION MUST BE INDEPENDENT OF CITY HALL!

I agree with your last sentence but what about 'of the people for the people by the people'? and all men created equal? Why does teh average Joe get as little say as possible along with the politicians?

[Towntalk]

When the City Charter was reviewed in 1921 there was a proposal to have a City Manager run the city with the Mayor being a ceremonial position with no real authority, and today this same scheme is being considered.

Here are political ads and an editorial about the scheme along with the election results that year.

8/4/1921 - READ
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B2ZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3715%2C1224819

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B2ZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2574%2C1297316

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B2ZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3694%2C1302268

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B2ZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2603%2C1393060


8/10/1921
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2ZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3714%2C2215267


JUST SAY NO TO AN UNELECTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE!

[Towntalk]

I also agree with having Maggy. I also believe that we must be very careful about who is on the commission, and believe that 30% should be from the professions; 30% from the business sector; 20% clergy; 10% private citizens; and 10% politicians. Give the politicians as little say as possable.

ABOVE ALL, THIS COMMISSION MUST BE INDEPENDENT OF CITY HALL!

[jay]

MK

I agree that Maggy would be a good person to have on the charter review commission.

[jay]

We should look at the recall provisions in the charter.  We have to have a fairly easy way to remove an ineffective councilman without waiting until his four year term is over.

[Youngstownshrimp]

Let me get drunk first after a hard days work and I will try to get in tune with it.  No, throw the bums out!!!!!

[Mary_Krupa]

Maggy for City Charter Committee
Maggy for City Charter Committee