Just read todays frontpage Columbian article noting pay raises for Vancouver City Council members.
Not against pay raises for 'em by any means. However (as The Columbian glosses over) the new salaries are "high for a weak mayor city", while "other cities, like Spokane + Tacoma, pay far more".
Yeah, Spokane + Tacoma both strong mayor/council cities (no city manager). And yes, Eric Holmes is lovely, and does a good job holding Vancouvria together. However, both the other 2 cities are around the same size as us (180k), and yet BOTH have strong mayor systems of govt.
When you think about it, $27.6k to Mayor Leavitt is chump change for essentially being a blue ribbon cutter. However, Leavitt clears more like $200k in his civil engineer day job-whose interests is he gonna look out for and is more liable to protect? He can sure make alot more decisions as an engineer.
Im opposed to our current system of govt because Vantucky as it stands now is essentially on autopilot, with an unanswerable-to-citizens govt headed by a manager only responsible to Council. Eric's great, yes. But what about his replacement if/when he goes? I hate to see another Madore-like creature slide into a position that is basically autocrat for our entire city, with only our quite vocal + active neighborhood orgs in his way.
Its time for Vantucky to grow up and get the checks and balances of govt that ensure cities grow + thrive. Past time.
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