Mayoral terms might double in length
December 4, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
New: Dec. 4, 9:09 a.m.
City Manager Ben Yazici made the case for changing the length of mayoral terms at the Dec. 1 meeting.
“We’re kind of one of those exceptions out there,” Yazici said, explaining that he didn’t know of any other Washington city that had one-year mayoral terms. “It kind of limits the mayor’s effectiveness in the regional arena. I think it would serve us well. It’s the decision of the council.”
In Sammamish, the mayor is a City Council member who the council appoints to serve as the city liaison in regional affairs. The mayor schedules, organizes and runs the council meetings. He or she is also the person who appears at groundbreaking events and ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
In some cases, the mayor’s role can take on greater significance in changing community relations, as exemplified by Mayor Don Gerend’s push for Wednesday office hours. With the rest of the council’s blessing, Gerend organized two-hour open sessions where residents could meet with two council members in an informal session.
The length of mayoral terms came up when City Clerk Melonie Anderson noticed a discrepancy between city practices and state law in November. Under state law, municipal mayors should be appointed every two years.
City Attorney Bruce Disend offered up the opinion that making the change was a “no-brainer.”
“Council will do what council will do. I really think the appropriate thing to do here is to send the message that we are in compliance with state law,” he said.
Some council members balked at deciding on the change before January.
“Maybe my replacement should be the one who’s voting for it,” Councilman Lee Fellinge said. Fellinge is stepping down at the end of the year and John Curley will take his seat in January 2010.
Councilwoman Kathy Huckabay voiced similar concerns, asking that the decision be delayed until the 2010 council, with three new members, has a chance to consider the change. Huckabay is also stepping down and will be replaced by John James.
Tom Odell, also elected for a term starting in 2010, was sitting in the audience. Curley and James were not present for the discussion.
In a later interview, James said he would prefer the council to wait on a decision until January 2010.
“There’s an appearance that there’s a movement to keep you as a mayor for a second year,” Huckabay said to Don Gerend, the current mayor. Gerend later clarified that the change wouldn’t necessarily extend his term for a second year. In theory, it would impact the next mayor’s length of term, not his. However, if Gerend were re-appointed mayor, he would serve a two-year term, plus the one year he served in 2009.
Huckabay also pointed out that the concept behind one-year terms was to help grow leaders within the council. Among the current council, six of the seven members have served as mayor at least once.
Councilman Mark Cross agreed with Yazici about weakened regional potency because of short mayoral terms. He said, when he was mayor in 2007, he got the sense that King County knew it could wait a few months and work with another mayor if things weren’t working out.
“The problems caused by the annual turnover are real,” he said.
Two factors add to the awkwardness of changing the code. The current deputy mayor, Jack Barry, won’t be on the council next year, making the appointment of mayor less obvious. In not choosing to change the code before January, the council would put the new council in the position of first deciding on the length of mayoral terms and then appointing the next mayor.
The council opted to schedule further discussion Dec. 8.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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