Strong mayor versus strong manager comes up at assembly meeting

Assemblyman Mark Ewing has proposed the Mat-Su Borough should be run by a strong mayor form of government as opposed to the form now that has a mayor who essentially is a figurehead, although he or she can veto assembly actions and is there in case of a tie vote.

The current mayor, Talis Colberg, has used his veto power since taking office, so he’s not a wallflower at meetings. He has also been stern at times about directions some assembly members want to go, without using the veto. So despite not being a strong mayor, he has been as strong as his office lets him be.

While we say the job is mostly that of a figurehead, that’s because he represents the borough at civic events and attends meetings where he represents the borough. But anybody who thinks it’s easy never watched former Mayor Curtis Menard when he was visibly torn over casting his vote regarding the route for the Bogard Road extension project.

Those kinds of decisions face the mayor more than we know. And really, if you have a problem, who do you start with? You want to go right to the top.

There are a couple of reasons to make the switch that make sense.

First, if the mayor is elected and doesn’t do the people’s work, then he or she can be ousted after three years. Not necessarily with a strong manager.

Managers can work for years at the job. They can only be fired if the assembly decides they are not doing the people’s work. But, if that’s case, nobody has to wait three years to show them the door.

Secondly, the mayor will have direct control over how the borough is run, as opposed to a borough manager who works at the assembly’s pleasure. While the mayor would have to also please the assembly, at least a majority, the mayor might be able to get things done faster, something local government could use more.

The argument can be made, though, that having the assembly in charge is better because seven people looking at an issue and discussing it is better — particularly with a possible mayoral veto — than one person and a cadre of four running the show.

We have local evidence in Houston of how badly things can go when one man is given too much leeway by an ineffective city council.

So let’s give the move to a strong mayor its due airing, but be wary of the pitfalls. And understand that whoever is in charge isn’t going to make everybody happy.