Joe Laux ("Mayor Joe") has been mayor of the city of Menasha since 1988. The position is full-time and is considered to be the city's chief executive officer. Laux has been mayor since 1988, but dissatisfaction with the city's financial situation has him in a fight for his political life--he's facing 4 challengers.
In the February primary the 5 candidates will be narrowed to two, and then in April the Menasha citizens will elect their chief executive. Seems like a representative democratic method of choosing a leader that many people have literally died for over the years.
Contrast that with how we are choosing our chief executive in Oshkosh. We have already had:
*Closed meetings to discuss the performance of the city manager.
*A buy out of the retiring city manager.
*Thousands of dollars for an attorney to advise the city council on everything from how to handle closed session evaluations to how much money to pay the acting city manager.
*Advertising dollars for an interim city manager search that never materialized.
*A committee (that was never voted on by the common council) to recommend an executive search firm to search for the city manager.
*Who knows how many more closed meetings as the search process unfolds.
*These kinds of discussions.
Menasha's process of executive selection is transparent (candidates debating in open forum), inclusive, and accountable to the voters. Oshkosh's process is semi-transparent, only as inclusive as the search firm and (hopefully) the council decides, and not at all accountable to the voters.
Menasha, Appleton, Neenah, and Green Bay elect their executive level leadership. Does anyone honestly think that those cities would trade their process for what we are doing in Oshkosh?
I pledge to work hard to make sure we get the best city manager possible. But I still don't understand why we just don't let voters settle the matter at the ballot box. What are we afraid of?
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7 comments:
I'm envious Tony. We in Appleton have elected a mayor - in a "strong mayor"-type government, similar to the City of Menasha. He is popular with the voters, speaks well in soundbites, but is not a strong leader, not a visionary, not a good manager. Should the City be able to "fire" him more often than once every 4 years? Should there be minimum education standards (our mayor doesn't have a college degree) and experience level for a mayor of a city the size of Appleton? The grass too often seems greener on the other side, doesn't it? You make good points in arguing for an elected mayor. I could make just as many in arguing for a highly capable, learned, proven city administrator. And we can't even get a candidate to run against our mayor....
Good points, Jo. I tend to take Winston Churchill's position on these matters: "Democracy is the worst form of government . . . except for everything else that's been tried."
It's disappointing that there's no opposition to mayor Hanna in Appleton, but that's a choice that -- for better or worse -- the citizens of that city have made.
I don't think it's about the grass being greener because, as Churchill would probably say, Appleton government is awful. But on balance it's probably less awful than Oshkosh because it requires citizens to elect their top level leadership.
*Closed meetings to discuss the performance of the city manager.
WHICH YOU VOTED IN FAVOR OF AND ATTENDED.
*A buy out of the retiring city manager.
WHICH YOU HELP NEGOTIATE AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF. (BY THE WAY, IT WAS REQUIRED PER THE CONTRACT.)
*Thousands of dollars for an attorney to advise the city council on everything from how to handle closed session evaluations to how much money to pay the acting city manager.
WHICH YOU AGREED TO AND BENEFITTED FROM.
*Advertising dollars for an interim city manager search that never materialized.
YOU FAVORED THE SEARCH, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE YOU TO BLAME FOR THE WASTED SPENDING. (AND ESSLINGER AND MCHUGH AND MAYOR TOWER, SINCE HE FAVORED THE SEARCH BEFORE CHANGING HIS MIND.)
*A committee (that was never voted on by the common council) to recommend an executive search firm to search for the city manager.
YOU WERE THERE WHEN THE ACTING CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED THE THREE MEMBERS, WHY DIDN'T YOU SPEAK UP AND ASK FOR A VOTE?
*Who knows how many more closed meetings as the search process unfolds.
YOU HAVE A VOTE OVER HOW MANY CLOSED SESSIONS TAKE PLACE.
Oshkosh's process is semi-transparent, only as inclusive as the search firm and (hopefully) the council decides, and not at all accountable to the voters.
AGAIN, YOU ARE A COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU CONTROL THIS SEARCH. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WHINE WHEN YOU DON'T ACT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Menasha, Appleton, Neenah, and Green Bay elect their executive level leadership. Does anyone honestly think that those cities would trade their process for what we are doing in Oshkosh?
LET'S SEE, MENASHA AND APPLETON BOTH HAVE A FACILITIES CRISIS, GREEN BAY HAS A MAYOR VIOLATING THE FIRST AMENDMENT, NEENAH HAS POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSUES...MAYBE THEY MIGHT WANT A PRO TO DO THE JOB. (AND WOLLANGK WAS NO PRO!)
I pledge to work hard to make sure we get the best city manager possible. But I still don't understand why we just don't let voters settle the matter at the ballot box. What are we afraid of?
WHERE'S THE PETITION DRIVE? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT DIED BEFORE EVER TAKING OFF. OH, 'THE WEATHER' AND 'BUSY SCHEDULES' KEPT PEOPLE AWAY...I FORGOT. YOUR PROPOSAL HAD NO CITIZEN INPUT OR INVOLVEMENT, SOMETHING YOU RAIL ABOUT WHEN OTHERS DO THE SAME. AND THE SAME WAS TRUE FOR THE ESSLINGER/MCHUGH PROPOSAL. GIVE ME A BREAK!
"New" Oshkosh,
Thanks for proving my case! --TP
What case? The only case I'm trying to prove is that you have complained about things here that you have some control over, yet did nothing to stop them from happening. That used to work for you before being elected to office, but you're no longer a pundit. You are accountable for the very actions you portray as bad for the City.
"New" Oshkosh. You're proving my case in that your comments appear to agree that closed meetings, buyouts, and committees not voted on by the council are no way to choose an executive. You seem to be condemning me for (a.) upholding my obligations as a council member elected in the council/manager form of government (i.e. this form of government requires that executive level evaluation be done in closed session)and (b.) not being able to single-handedly prevent the process from moving forward the way it has been.
For some reason you do not want to have a vote in choosing the executive level of leadership in the city. Fine. More power to you (or more accurately I guess, "less" power to you.).
"Tony"
I do not have a problem with council members needing to meet in closed sessions to hammer out confidential items like personnel issues, contract negotiations, etc., as long as the information is presented publically in a reasonable and responsible manner, as it was during the Wollangk case. I think the council, as a whole, did a good job at releasing information when possible, and earned the trust of the public by doing so.
My point was (and is) that you blog about your concerns and issues that took place, but never acknowledge you willingly took part in them. I would not have a beef with what you said had you tried to stop or change some of the issues you raise.
You say you were "upholding your obligations as a council member elected in the council/manager form of government." Since when is it an obligation to vote for a "buy out"? Since when is it an obligation to not request or call for a vote? Since when is it an obligation to vote for closed meetings or attend a closed meeting that you feel should not be taking place?
That is my point. You can't be critical of a government that you are part of when you do nothing to change it.
By the way, your assumption is wrong about my preference of the form of government. I would like to see a mayor/council government in Oshkosh, complete with a full time mayor (elected to a 4 year term), city administrator/business manager (appointed by the mayor) and either 14 council members elected by district (1 per voting district) or 7 elected by district (1 council member per 2 voting districts).
However, a change should be lead and initiated by the citizens of Oshkosh through a direct referendum petition drive, not by the council. Just as the smoking ban should not be changed or altered by the council. Both measures were implemented by the citizens, therefore, citizens bare the responsibility of initiating the change.
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