Tommy Acosta, Sedona Times Publishing guest writer
Sedona AZ (December 20, 2008) – There’s a lot of talk going on whether a strong or weak mayor is the best form of local government, especially for Sedona.
Unfortunately, these opinions don’t quite grasp the reality of political science or what constitutes a weak or strong mayor. It is not about whether the mayor has executive powers or not. It is about power, period.
First, political patronage is a reality that has always existed in American politics and continues to exist today, in the eastern or western part of the country.
To believe otherwise is a naive perspective. It is a simple fact – those who have the votes on a council rule and those who rule represent the will of those who financed their election. Special interests always get the honey their bees produce.
This is not corruption. This is just the way things are. Whoever controls the votes controls the money, regardless who the mayor might be or the style of government on the council.
Growing up on the East Coast, I reported on councils having strong or weak mayors. It always boiled down to this: a strong mayor was the mayor who had the majority of the council votes and a weak mayor was one who did not.
Let us consider the make up of our council in Sedona. The present mayor is a weak mayor. It is the ex-mayor who sits on the council who is the strong mayor because of the control the voting block of five have. When she was in office she was a strong mayor because she had the backing of the majority of votes.
Two excellent examples of strong mayors in the West are Mayor Steve Berman of Gilbert and Mayor Boyd Dunn of Chandler.
Mayor Berman gets things done and rules with a benevolent, steel-gloved hand. He is popular, charismatic and there is no doubt he is in charge. Plus, he generally has the majority of the council backing him.
As a result, Gilbert city staff, especially the town manager, pay close attention to him and work closely with him even though the city manager overseas operations and implements council decision. Everyone knows who the boss is and things get done. Gilbert continues to flourish despite the economic downturn.
Mayor Dunn of Chandler had a battle on his hands when first elected, as staff had trouble deciding who was really in charge. But in the end, the mayor gained control of the majority of votes and staff loyalty shifted towards him. As a result, Chandler is growing, is strong and remains financially healthy.
Because the city manager serves at the pleasure of the council, it is important for the manager to know who controls the council in order to keep their jobs. As a result, the council is encouraged by staff to vote or approve certain things staff knows would please the majority of the council members. Individuals, staff members, who go against the grain, take a great chance.
Sometimes an entrenched city staff can rule a council. Such was the case in the Bronx where the district manager ruled the local council. The elected knew they had to play ball with the manager or else they don’t get re-elected. Things got done and voters appreciated it.
In Sedona, it is obvious who the ruling faction on the council is, so staff can be expected to fully cooperate with those who hold power over their employment. No judgment is being passed here as to whether this is a good or bad thing. It’s just a fact of life. Those who have the majority rule. This is American politics. It is nice to hold lofty ideals and opinions about how transparent, representative and democratic our system of government is but the truth is — it’s all about power and money.
The present majority has been in power over numerous administrations and most likely will remain so with no real-political organization left in Sedona to move a different platform forward.
I learned a great lesson while reporting on local government in the Morris Park section of the Bronx. Pulled aside by two big-burly men after a community meeting I was told “The government you see in front of you is not important. It is the government you don’t see behind that government that is in control.”
They trusted me so much as a reporter they even once invited me to one of their “secret” behind the scenes meetings, providing my attendance there was “off the record.” There were purple curtains over large paintings on the walls of the hall. When the meeting started the curtains were rolled up. Guess whose portrait was under the curtain? You got it. It was Benito Mussolini’s.
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If Mussolini was alive he wouldn’t waste his time in Sedona.
As you will recall, Mussolini and his family were torn limb-from-limb
at War’s end pursuing AXIS OF EVIL, World Domination,
Totalitarianism, and all other ideas to enslave the thoughts, actions,
and dreams of mankind.
Here, the masses are already enslaved. Apathy gave way along
time ago to the ‘BIG YAWN’ in little old Sedona. How else could
a paper like the Red Rock News exist? Most people in Sedona
are more concerned about hip replacements, milder laxatives,
and flushing their colonoscopy bags than actually caring how
their government operates. Oh, and don’t forget Coupon Thursday
at Safeway.
The economics and increasingly the landscape is resembling
a third-world chicken farm, although it is hard to imagine how
a third-world chicken farm could incur $76 million dollars in debt.
As a friend who visited me from Aspen recently said, “geese
this is really a cheesy tourist town,” to which I replied “Don’t you
want to buy a t-shirt before you leave” to which he retorted,
“So that I can wear it where?”
Lastly, the only hope for Sedona is that a shiek from Dubai
buys our debt and the entire City and turns it back into the
place it was at the time of filming of “3.10 to Yuma”. Then at
least it had beauty – and cattle. Now the beauty is in rapid descent,
stupidity and apathy reign supreme, and the ‘powers that be’
are actually fighting over spoils. I guess whoever wins the
war gets the debt. And don’t forget the ‘third world chicken farm’
that comes with it.
Your words are brutally frank and accurate. However, in Sedona government I’ve always had the feeling it is the Department of Community Development that functions as the “strong” link. More often than not, when change of command on the city council occurs every two years, new members are inexperienced to the point they are unable to challenge many staff recommendations and thus acquiesce to staff on development plans which may NOT ultimately be in the best interest of the community in general.
One challenge to this process remains ignored. Whenever the Community Plan is scheduled for updating subject to public vote, it never seems to fail that approval is gleaned by broken promises made for changes to be forthcoming for tightening up loop holes enabling staff to justify unsuitable projects which are inappropriate for the very reasons Sedona incorporated in the first place.
Unless and until the Community Plan is revised to disengage the process, it’s my opinion that city employees, many of whom have been in their positions much longer than some council members have even lived in Sedona, will continue to pull the strings and remain in command.
A candidate for city council who would uphold a strong mandate for making changes to the Community Plan PRIOR to a public vote most assuredly would set a new trend. I don’t see how that could lead to anything other than a win/win situation for all concerned.