Steve Benjamin has been talking about changing Columbia’s form of government, which I’ve found encouraging, because if a guy talks about something like that while running for office and gets elected, he can say he has a mandate to try to do something about it.
Even so, someone other than a guy running for mayor has to be pushing for more authority for that office in order for the initiative to be credible, so I was very encouraged to read that some other folks, ranging from Darrell Jackson to Belinda Gergel, are openly talking about switching to a system in which the voters could hold someone accountable for how the city is run.
I am especially encouraged that Ms. Gergel is prepared to take concrete steps toward putting the issue on the very ballot on which Mr. Benjamin is running. Folks, this is light years beyond anything we’ve seen on city council before. Mayor Bob wanted such a change, but never took such direct action. Nor did anyone.
Some of you prefer the present system — either because it’s better than what preceded it, or because you fear the threat of bossism, or whatever. The great thing about what Belinda is proposing is that if council goes ahead and puts it on the ballot, we’ll have three months to lay out everyone’s arguments, and then let voters make the decision. This is infinitely better than waiting several years for a blue-ribbon panel that was never going to go for real reform to make a non-report.
So just by getting to this point, we’ve made progress…
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Belinda was on the “Blue Ribbon” (whatever that means, but they always say it) committee to investigate the form of government. That committee’s recommendations have heretofore gone nowhere.
With the most excellent Steve Gantt finding money in the budget, swinging us from deficit to surplus, and generally running the tightest ship we’ve seen since I’ve been looking, I’m not sure this is such a hot time to change to form of government. It’s working!