Vol2No7: It’s All About Good Governance
Guest Issue: Does Ketchum have the form of government best suited to deliver good, effective governance to the people of Ketchum? By Annie Corrock
Editor’s Note: Annie Corrock wrote this week’s issue. She and her family have lived in the area for, well, pretty much forever. Annie has served Ketchum in many ways, including on the Ketchum City Council. Her father built some of what used to be workforce housing in Ketchum, much of which has sadly gone to the AirBNB market.
One of the issues she is focused on is improving governance. She believes we would be well-served by switching from the Mayor-Council form of government to the City Manager form. McCall and Twin Falls operate under the City Manager approach, as do many of the resort communities in Colorado.
This issue represents Annie’s views. I have many questions about the City Manager's approach, and I bet you do, too. Please post your questions in the comments at the bottom, and Annie will respond to them in a subsequent issue.
I think this issue should be considered in conjunction with Liz Corker's article in The Ketchum Sun about Citizen Assemblies.
As always, my goal is to increase transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability in the City of Ketchum, in service of its residents.
Take it away, Annie!
Perry has done an incredible job of being the watchdog at city hall and keeping us informed of what he’s seeing…and what he’s seeing begs the question:
Does Ketchum have the form of government best suited to deliver good, effective governance to the people of Ketchum?
Council-Manager Form of Government vs. Mayor-Council Government Form of Government (aka “Strong Mayor”)
Currently, Ketchum has a Mayor-Council Government, often described as a “strong mayor” form of governance. In this form of governance, the elected mayor serves as the city's CEO appoints and oversees the department heads, handles day-to-day affairs, and ensures that city ordinances are enforced. The mayor also presides over City Council meetings, votes when needed to break a tie, and performs ceremonial duties. The City Council is the legislative body that makes policy and appropriates funds.
In a Council-Manager Form of Government, the city manager is appointed by and works at the pleasure of the City Council. A city manager is a specially trained, experienced, nonpartisan manager who runs the day-to-day operations, appoints and oversees all department heads, and ensures that the ordinances and policies of the city are complied with and faithfully executed. The mayor presides over city council meetings, performs ceremonial duties, and participates, as an equal voting member, with the council in policymaking, appropriating funds, approving department heads, and other legislative responsibilitiesThe council-manager form of government was created at the turn of the 20th century to combat corruption and unethical activity. It recognizes the critical role of elected officials as policymakers and the need for a highly qualified individual devoted exclusively to delivering services to residents.
Council-Manager is the fastest-growing form of government in the U.S.
More than 120 million people live in municipalities with the Council-Manager form of government.
The Council-Manager Form of Government delivers:
· More access to elected officials
All five (5) elected officials make decisions on policy and the community's future equally, giving residents more opportunities to participate.
· Less Political
The hired manager works “at will” at the pleasure of all five (5) elected officials and is dedicated to the highest ideals of honesty, integrity, and excellence in the management and delivery of public service.
· The Power of Special Interests is Diffused
We need a more balanced approach to community decision-making so that all interests can be expressed and heard, not just those that are well-funded.
· Continuity of Community Vision
The Council-Manager form of government provides a smooth transition of administrations, improved retention of city staff, and the delivery of long-term goals.
· Cost Effective
Adopting the Council-Manager form of government does not increase staffing costs. Many local governments have found that competent management reduces overall costs.
Times have changed in Ketchum
We’ve gone from a town with one blinking light to, well, a lot more! We have outgrown our current government. We need a strong, diverse council elected by the people to serve as the policymaking, fund-appropriating, and legislative body and a highly trained, appropriately educated, and experienced manager as our chief executive officer. We need to change to the Council-Manager Form of Government!
So, how do we get it done?
It takes a vote of the people. In 2011, a few of us worked hard to get it on the ballot. We were a small grassroots group that gave up our summer to collect signatures and campaign on behalf of the cause. It was tough, and we ruffled some feathers. A well-funded campaign representing special interest groups opposed us. While we did not get the 50% of the votes we needed, we got a substantial 43%.
Getting on a ballot takes a resolution of the City Council or an initiative petition by the people. We can get it on the ballot in the November 2025 election if we start now. Here is a link to the state statute for the Council-Manager Plan, which outlines the process to get it done:
https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/statutesrules/idstat/Title50/T50CH8.pdf
Join me!
Making the changes we need for good governance will require hard work. Volunteers will be needed to collect signatures, educate voters, and take on other campaign responsibilities.
Let’s work together to get this done! Give me a call if you’re interested. I’m in the phone book!
Note: statistics and information gathered from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association (icma.org)
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Great post Annie. I hope Ketchum citizens will take you up on your offer to bring this governance style to Ketchum. All of you Ketchum residents reading this…Annie’s phone number is in the phone book. Pick up the phone and call her!
Thank you Anne, for bringing up this idea. I looked into this and can see the logic here in terms of the Council-Manager form of government being more responsive to residents in the long- and medium-term by providing continuity of the community's vision, versus that being upended every election cycle by the Strong Mayor-Council form of government.
Elected officials are simply conduits for the community's vision. They need to be able to have a way to know what that is in terms of both the long-term vision (i.e. Comprehensive Plans) and in terms of important issues that break through in-between long-term plans. That's where a Civic Assembly could come in as Perry suggested. A good administrator would implement the community's vision and a Mayor and Council would provide oversight and short-term adjustments based on inclusive community input.
I have not had it confirmed yet, but I heard Boulder, CO is going to hold a Civic Assembly to determine their next Comp Plan. They have a Council-Manager form of government. So does Bend, OR.