Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo.
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – The City of Wausau was about to sell three parcels of land to a 17-year-old. He wasn’t legally old enough to enter into a contract. The sale was vetoed by the mayor, and the purchase offer was withdrawn.
This seems like a low point for city government; the city didn’t even know who it was going business with.
Some are using this embarrassment as a new call for a city manager. Professional management would lead to a better-run city.
Not necessarily.
A city manager would take power away from the mayor. There’s a problem with that. If you dislike the mayor, or disagree with their policies, you can vote them out of office. If you disagree with the decisions of a city manager, getting rid of them is much more difficult. You might convince your city council member to vote against a contract renewal. But that’s just one vote out of 11.
A mayor is directly accountable to the voters. A city manager is not.
Suppose, hypothetically, the new city manager is also a big spender. They might propose a budget that includes a long list of city wants-and-needs that would raise property taxes substantially. City council members would actually have political cover to vote “yes”. After all, trusted city manager so-and-so says this level of spending is necessary. Politicians may choose to campaign on a platform of spending restraint and controlling taxes. A city manager doesn’t have to campaign for anything.
Might a city manager keep embarrassments like the Wyatt Street land deal from happening? Yes, with a basic level of competence that others a City Hall currently don’t have. City staffers who can’t do basic do-diligence should be fired.
There is something curious about the timing of the city manager debate. This discussion was completely dormant when liberal big-spender Katie Rosenberg was in office. The calls for a city manager resurface when a conservative, Doug Diny, is in office. If the mayor is to lose more of his/her power, let’s make that change when a lib is in office. For once, the other side should go first. When they are losing political power, perhaps they’ll agree that government that answers directly to the people is best.
Chris Conley
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