Does Tacoma Need to Grow Up?
A guest editorial appeared in this week’s Tacoma Weekly with a title that caught our attention: “TACOMA NEEDS TO GROW UP AND ADOPT A NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT.”
In the editorial John Ladenburg Sr. argues that much of Tacoma’s current trouble can be traced to a flawed and poorly structured manager-council form of government. A council that is part-time, without individual staff, he argues, can hardly be expected to have the time to analyze complex issues, like a budget the size of Tacoma’s and challenge the word of the manager and his staff.
If we want to hold [the Council] accountable, we need to give them the ability to do the job. We will continue to see these problems if we insist on having a government structure not suited to the size of our city.
To remedy the situation, Ladenburg proposes a change.
- Change the charter and make mayor and council full-time, and give them staff
- Eliminate the city manager and his staff
- Eliminate four City Council positions
- Restructure to a strong mayor form of government
So, what do you think?
Read Ladenburg’s full editorial in this week’s Tacoma Weekly.
Filed under: City Council, City Government
13 comments
R RR Anderson October 19, 2012
lets all go golfing at chambers bay
M Michael October 19, 2012
I completely agree. Let’s hope Ladenburg’s support for this idea encourages the council to take this issue seriously at a time that seems ripe for reform given our budget issues. As Rahm Emanuel says, you never want to let a serious crisis go to waste…
A Albert October 19, 2012
I have emailed the council member for district four on many occasions. I never received a reply. I decided to ask about this downtown and their response was, “ oh well it is a part time position.” So yes Tacoma needs to grow up, because serious community issues do not occur on a part time basis.
D David Boe October 19, 2012
City Council cannot change the form of government. This can only be changed by a Charter Review process that goes to the electorate for a vote. This review is mandated by the Charter to occur a maximum of every 10-years. I think the cost estimate for the review is about $300k when all said and done. Here is the main section from the Charter:
and Albert, Marty doesn’t respond to your e-mails?
F fred davie October 20, 2012
Tacoma could operate much more successfully IMO, without tampering with it’s structure, if it were run by council members with more conservative business backgrounds. Five such people could take control of the council and it’s direction.
Guess what? Next November (2013) there will be four council seats up for election along with the Mayor’s.
While it seems unlikely that Tacoma voters would throw out the liberal pet project promoters it’s possible that as the economy continues to sour and budget deficits approach stratospheric proportion that a willingness to try something new might be embraced.
C Carmenieed October 20, 2012
Yikes scary piece from a guy who not only failed to disclose his stock ownership in Prometa, but at the same time, authorized funding for AND lobbied for even more public funding to support Prometa, earning his second slap on the wrist from the Public Disclosure Commission. According to MSNBC, Mr. Ladenburg “did not respond to calls seeking comment”. As for the first slap from the PDC – it was a result of him committing one of the two “biggest violations in the commission’s 30-year history” (PDC quote from a TNT article) when he used public money to pay for, to create, and to distribute biased campaign material on Proposition 1 (More Cops Now campaign). He claims that he was “not found guilty”, rather than admitting the truth; which was that he was indeed guilty, though got off on a technicality.
S Stanford October 20, 2012
If it’s a Landenburg is proposing it, then
a Landenburg will somehow profit from it.
PS ~ Marty never responds to anything except praise.
.
T the usual jamie October 20, 2012
So fred/fredo: When shall we expect to see your campaign start. You certainly seem to always have all the answers, why don’t you put your energy towards actually creating some sort of change rather than trying to convince all of us internet liberals that we’re clueless? I would be willing to make the honest promise to not dismiss you prematurely and read any campaign materials you send out before deciding who to ultimately vote for. Deal?
F fred davie October 21, 2012
“why don’t you (fred) put your energy towards actually creating some sort of change “ jamie
Change begins with an idea. I provided an idea. When I publish an idea I am using “energy” to think of that idea. I expressed my idea in the form of a “trial balloon” which is exactly the same thing Ladenburg did. Ladenburg is waiting to see what people think of his idea and so am I.
Remember President Kennedy expressed an idea about flying a man to the moon. He didn’t actually build the rocket or ride in the spaceship. All he did was provide an idea.
T talus October 21, 2012
So now Fred’s comparing himself to Kennedy…
But at least Fred is attacking Ladenburg’s idea instead of basing his reaction to it solely on dislike for the messenger like @6 and @7 — seems like a substitute for thinking. And even you’re not a fan of Ladenburg even a broken clock is right twice a day. I think his proposal would increase accountability among the city’s leadership and give citizens more power by removing the filter between them and the city’s executive branch.
J Jesse October 21, 2012
Don’t shoot the messenger. Ladenburg makes sense.
J jd October 22, 2012
My question is, how much it would cost to lure the folks who are able to do the job effectively away from their ‘real jobs’ for a couple of years? Would someone of the caliber of David Boe be able to put his business and career on hold for this much time? It seems to me that those who could or should be doing the job, already have full-time jobs. Could we afford to make the position lucrative enough to pull in the people we would want?
T Tom Llewellyn October 22, 2012
I totally support this. We, the voters, have only secondary say in the guy who basically runs the city. We can’t vote him out. We can only hope that the councilpersons we vote for influence him.
I would vote for a strong mayoral system. Right now. Let’s do it.