Houston should consider a strong city manager

In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Rodney King made this plea for harmony: “Please, we can get along here.”

It’s one we echo now in hopes that Houston can turn the corner from being the Valley’s political sideshow and become the smooth-operating city its residents deserve. Controversial and embattled mayor Roger Purcell is out, his resignation taking effect on the eve of what would have been an election attempting his recall.

Enter Rosemary Burnett, elected to take over the reins of the city until October’s municipal election. There are some who believe that because Burnett is perceived as a Purcell supporter, there will be little difference in city leadership under her watch.

We say time will tell. Give the woman a chance. While it may be difficult to understand why anyone would want the job given the recent volatile history of Houston politics, the challenge is hers. It’s also her opportunity.

After being chosen as mayor by her fellow council members, Burnett expressed an interest in healing the city. That will be a tall task, as the bad blood and backbiting runs deep.

Before Purcell was mayor, he was the chief opponent on the council of former mayor Steve Frost, who resigned in February 2008. In addition to some family issues he needed to attend to, Frost was fed up with the counterproductive bickering among council members.

He likened serving on the council as walking “a fine line between genius and insanity,” and that any “honest attempt at a noble challenge becomes an impossible mission.”

Following Frost’s resignation, Councilman Lee Himes uttered these prophetic words: “The drama’s going to get a lot worse.”

Unfortunately for Houston, Himes’ prediction was realized over these past months leading up to Purcell’s resignation. Along with a budget crunch that threatened to disband the city’s police department, Houston has made news over the shooting of eight animals at its overcrowded shelter, as well as the public suspension, reinstatement then dismissal of a police officer and allegations the mayor improperly used the emergency lights on a city vehicle.

Purcell said he knew it was time to resign after his family began receiving personal threats over his position as mayor.

The drama surrounding Houston City Council and mayor is, unfortunately, nothing new. This is why the city and its residents should consider a substantial change to the way Houston does business.

It’s apparent the council electing a mayor from among its own ranks isn’t getting the job done. Houston is growing and evolving, and, like the rest of the Valley, its internal structure needs to evolve as well.

There are a couple of models on Houston’s doorstep to glean from. First, there’s Wasilla, where residents — rather than the city council — elect a so-called “strong mayor”. Then there’s Palmer, which uses a “strong-manager” form of government.

Houston could benefit greatly from having a strong manager, a professional with the training and background to run a city. With the state of the city today and Houston’s strained relations with some of its bureaucratic neighbors, like the Alaska State Troopers, a city manager may be the shot in the arm the city needs to move forward as a professional organization.