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Since
the creation of the Athens-Clarke County unified government
in 1990, which established a "strong manager" form
of administration, many have come to view the role of Mayor
as weak or benign. If you closely examine the Mayor's role,
I believe you will find that the position encompasses much
more influence and capacity than is simply stated in the charter.
One
of the most essential roles assigned to the Mayor is setting
the agenda for Commission work and voting meetings. The charter
clearly states that the agenda is created from issues brought
forth by the manager, Commission, and the public. Issues of
concern may also be contributed and supported by the Mayor
(to the public, manager, and commission members). And although
it is not stated emphatically, governmental employees must
be included in the discussion and sharing of information that
relates to all operations of the Athens-Clarke County Government.
Simply
put, this means that the Mayor decides what issues will come
before the Commission for their consideration, and ultimately,
their vote.
The
Mayor's responsibility to the community is to ensure that
issues brought before the Commission have been given a proper
hearing and are fully addressed. The public has the right
to be heard, to feel confident that issues will brought forward
for full exploration and consideration, to know that open
and fair discussion will take place, and to be clear about
their commissioners' stands on issues of concern through the
voting process.
It
is also the Mayor's charge to set the tone for governmental
operations through the authority to appoint the manager, attorney,
and auditor. The degree to which our government operates efficiently
and effectively is greatly influenced by the manager, the
professional hired to run the day-to-day operations of the
Athens-Clarke County Government. Given the size and complexity
of our government, I believe the "strong manager" form of administration is an asset to our community. Equally
important are the attorney, who provides legal counsel to
the government, and the auditor, who studies overall operations
of the government and makes recommendations for streamlining
processes and expenses.
As
Mayor, I promise to safeguard the influence and authority
that has been entrusted to me through your support and confidence.
I will use this privilege wisely, always keeping in mind my
responsibility to community as a whole and to each and every
person in it.
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