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RESOLUTION NO. 010507
Establishing the City
Councils intent to discuss and debate the proposed change from the existing
Council-Manager form of government to a strong Mayor form of government in
Kansas City and convey its collective position to the Charter Review
Commission.
WHEREAS, the
citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, adopted the Kansas City Charter on February
24, 1925, thereby establishing a Council/Manager form of professional
government in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, Kansas
City, Missouri, has enjoyed a reputation for quality, professional management
characterized by L.P. Cookingham; and
WHEREAS, the Charter
provides that the city manager shall be chosen solely on the basis of his
executive and administrative qualifications, that the city manager shall
appoint all directors of departmentsand all other officers, and that these
appointments shall be made on the basis of executive and administrative
ability and of the training and experience of such appointees for the work
which they are to administer. Further, the Charter states Neither the
Council nor any of its committees or members shall have authority to control
the appointment or removal of any person to or from office or employment by the
city manager or any of his subordinates, thus effectively removing any
political influence over the hiring and firing of professional city staff; and
WHEREAS, the
Charter states that the city manager shall serve at the pleasure of the
council, thus giving the City Council the authority to hire and fire the city
manager, if the city manager is not responsive to the City Councils
priorities; and
WHEREAS, FOCUS
Kansas City recognizes that Kansas City has a long and deeply rooted tradition
of professional city management, and it is our belief that the Council/Manager
form has served the city well and is the legal structure most likely to
facilitate FOCUS implementation; and
WHEREAS, a
Charter Review Commission has been appointed by the Mayor to review the current
Charter and recommend amendments to the City Council and ultimately to the
voters of Kansas City for approval; and
WHEREAS, it has
been proposed by the Mayor to the Charter Review Commission that it recommend a
strong Mayor form of government for Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, the form
of government, strong Mayor or Council-Manager, is the threshold issue facing
the Charter Review Commission and will impact every other recommendation of
that body; and
WHEREAS, the City
Council collectively should give direction to the Commission in a timely manner
on this threshold issue; and
WHEREAS,
establishing a new form of government for Kansas City, Missouri, is the most
important policy decision that an elected body can make; and
WHEREAS, it is
the role of the elected members of the City Council to proactively set the
policy for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and not to simply react to the
recommendations of an appointed board; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY
THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the City
Council of Kansas City, Missouri, will discuss and debate this important issue
of fundamentally changing the form of government in Kansas City from
Council-Manager to strong Mayor and will convey its collective position on this
issue to the Charter Review Commission.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that this discussion by the Committee of the Whole will take place on
April 12, 2001, at the time reserved for the Council Priority session.
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