CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Wausau Mayor Doug Diny will hold a town hall meeting on September 15 to discuss a city manager form of government. He supports it; I do not.
Suppose the city is run by a city manager… someone who has professional experience running a city the size of Wausau. He’s hired by the City Council, and promises that good governance will be his calling card.
He examines the neglect of the city’s vehicle fleet and promises to straighten it out: more mechanics to handle a backlog of work, and an aggressive schedule for overdue maintenance. A consultant already suggests the price tag will be $30-million.
Wausau’s fire department already fancies a new headquarters. They need bigger bays for bigger equipment. The police department wants to move to the old UW-Stevens Point building near Marathon Park. Pricetag for the fire department land acquisition: another $30-million. $8 to $10-million to renovate the new police building.
Wausau has discussed for years taking garbage collection and stormwater treatment off of the tax levy. Suppose, in the name of transparency, the new city manager supports those changes. The parks department is also proposing a modest forestry free for taxpayers, and the rotating closure of municipal swimming pools each summer.
Hypothetically, the city manager could present the city council with a budget that includes $75-million in new spending, and another $250 per taxpayer in new fees. “That’s the price for the government that Wausonians expect,” he says.
Without a city manager, the city council would vote such a budget down. Those who have to face the voters on election day could never force such higher payments onto taxpayers. But with a city manager, the argument changes. “We hired an expert on city government. We’re only doing what he recommended,” the council cries as they pass the budget.
In January the tax bills arrives. It’s sky high. Residents revolt. “We’rve got to vote these rascals out of office.”
But… the city manager isn’t an elected official. He’s an employee of the city. So, you vote against your city council member. But they’re only one vote out of 11. There need to be six new votes on the council to remove the city manager.
That’s precisely the problem with a city manager form of government . Major decisions will be made by someone who doesn’t answer to the voters. Good government must be accountable to the people.
Chris Conley
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