Strong mayor vs. borough manager

John Duffy, who has served as Mat-Su Borough manager for the past 10 years, is retiring this summer and the assembly has decided to engage in a nationwide search for a new manager.

Assemblyman Mark Ewing has introduced a resolution which, if the assembly on Tuesday allows it to go forward to the voters in October for their decision, will decide whether our borough is directed by a strong mayor elected by the people or by an appointed manager selected by the assembly. Currently, this borough is directed by a borough manager who is appointed by a majority (four or more) votes of the assembly and remains in office unless removed by the assembly. Where are the checks and balances?

Over the last few decades, voters have grown disenchanted by professional politicians and have enacted term limits for mayors, assembly members, legislators, etc. Even our judges in appointed positions have to periodically go in front of the voters for retention.

Strangely enough, our borough manager has no such term limit.

You as a voter have no ability to remove that person from the highest ranking position in our borough, the position that ensures that the government is responsive to the people.

Ask yourself, do you prefer having your borough directed by an elected local resident selected by the voters every three years or by an assembly appointed manager, selected most likely from outside the state with no accountability to the voters and no term limit?

Ask yourself, is it not a safer form of government to have checks and balances between the executive branch and the legislative branch? With the current manager plan, the legislative branch (i.e. the assembly) appoints the executive (i.e. the manager, who only needs to please four members). Wouldn’t it be a better safeguard of our tax funds and operations to have an independent executive that owes no allegiance to the legislative branch and stands on his/her own platform having been put there directly by the people?

Even if you prefer one system over the other, as a matter of good, sound public policy and fairness to all, shouldn’t the voters be given the opportunity to vote in October on this issue of self-governance?

With the longtime manager stepping down, now is the time to consider this transition to a more responsive borough government with a mayor who has the tools to help actively shape this borough’s future instead of being a simple ceremonial head.

It is my hope that the assembly, regardless of personal positions on the issue, does the right thing Tuesday and puts this issue on the ballot for the people to decide. After all, the people are competent enough to elect these assembly members, can any assembly member contend that these same folks are unable to decide if they want to elect a mayor with full executive powers?

Unlike the assembly members who each represent small districts within the borough, the mayor runs for election areawide and, as such, should have the authority to implement direction for the entire borough.

John Wood has resided in Alaska for 39 years and in Willow for eight years. He served on the Anchorage assembly from 1981-1991 and as its chairman in a strong mayor form of government.