Our correspondent Bob Coble offers these observations on two hot city issues.
First, I got this e-mail from him today about City Finances, which, as we know, have been quite a mess lately:
Today at our City Council meeting, our auditor, Bud Addison of Webster Rogers, will present out 2005-06 audit. That will put us back on schedule. The City staff will close the books for 2006-07 by December 31st and Webster Rogers will then complete the audit. Our next steps will be to first make sure the new finance staff timely closes our books for 2006-07 and future years, and then the audits are completed timely. Secondly, the auditor’s management letter (that was presented a few weeks ago-Gina did a story and you an editorial) that outlines the deficiencies and recommendations from 2005 must be completed and implemented. The audit itself today will show the financial health of the City itself is strong.
Three minutes later, I received this addendum regarding the idea of Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott taking over the troubled Columbia Police Department:
I wanted to indicate that I have always supported consolidation of
city county services including law enforcement. State law outlines how that
could occur I believe. I think the current proposal by Kirkman and Daniel needs
to be reviewed (Council has only heard about this from Adam Beam). I do believe
there are serious issues that need to be considered. The combination of a
partisan elected official into city government should be reviewed carefully. It
has implications on the current form of government discussion. As always any
consolidation of services discussions should be divorced from the current
players and current situation and be viewed on a 20-30 year basis.
As for what I think — well, you know what I think: There should be a full-time elected mayor in charge of running the city, and that man or woman should be held accountable for all of the above. Having an unelected manager report to seven bosses — none of whom can be held accountable individually for what happens, since each has only one-seventh say — isn’t working out so hot.
If the way to get an elected person in charge of one critical city function — public safety — is to have the sheriff take over, that’s worth considering. But it’s pretty funky — a person elected by one set of people handling an entity that only serves a subset of that electorate is a very strange way to do accountability. And the mayor’s right — whatever we do on this, it shouldn’t be about current personalities.
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I envy Bob.
Only a truly great politican can lead such a crappy government, and yet still survive.
Failure, after failure, after failure…and he skates on. I truly envy his ability.
A full-time elected mayor is dangerous business in a city that does not have the infrastructure and leadership to handle such a change. Those touting such a change for Columbia make the assumption that Coble will ostensibly handle that job, and do it with aplomb. Has anyone considered the fact that should we put that type of leadership structure in place, Coble might lose – or die in office – or be forced to resign – and his successor will be an incompetent boob like, well, our current US president? A well-run, well-structured council-manager form of government (with an educated manager) is an extremely effective system of government. Yet, we cower under the fear that Austin cannot do his job (which really, he can’t – but they’re paying him $140,000+/year and not me, so I can’t complain) and the tacit acceptance of “Coble for life” if that plan were to come to fruition. I’m not one to prognosticate – if I were, I would have picked six lucky numbers by now – but if that plan were to come to pass, don’t say I didn’t warn you.