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I think having a full time council is one of the best things to happen in a long time. For the last decade Coleman and Kelly have been at City Hall full time, drafting their schemes, while the City Council members occassionally showed up. The voters, under the plan drafyted by the City Charter Commission, led by Andy Driscoll, (p.off'ed because he lost to Dave Thune), emasulated the Council and their staffs. (I was not aware until I read Tim Nelson's article today, that the Council went from 3 meetings a week to 1 and that sub-committees were dissolved). This is but one of many steps the Council shpould take to regain their power and counter-balance the Mayor. I believe that they also need to get their own legal counsel, because the Council is dependent upon the City Attorney for legal advice, who is ultimately beholden to the Mayor. This is a good first step, but more needs to be done to enpower the Council. Dan Dobson Summit Hill - Saint Paul ------------------------------------------------------- > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 07:51:37 -0800 (PST) > From: erin stojan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [StPaul] PP 12/29/03: Pay hike changing > character of city council > > --0-2039922457-1072713097=:79498 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > > In today's PP: thoughts, all? > > erin > north end > > > http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/7587750.htm > > > > Posted on Mon, Dec. 29, 2003ST. PAUL: Pay hike > changing character of city council > BY TIM NELSON > Pioneer Press > > > A dozen years ago, St. Paul threw its bums out. > > They weren't really bums: it was the seven-member > City Council that was the object of voters' wrath. > And technically, they sort of got recycled, rather > than thrown out. A charter referendum approved at > the polls in the fall of 1991 made them "part time," > pared their staff and cut their salary from about > $42,000 to $30,000 � where it's been for the last 10 > years. > > "I think there was a general bad feeling about > politicians at the time," remembers Dave Thune, who > was on the council then, later left and was elected > again last month. "People were throwing clothespins > and the like. � There was just a general feeling > that the rascals should be thrown out." > > But come January, they'll be back. After a fashion, > anyway. > > The council's pay is set to jump from $30,000 to > about $47,000, a 57 percent increase as of Jan. 1, > thanks to an ordinance passed last year. City Hall > duties will be the principal occupation for at least > five of the seven members. > > It will be a part-time council almost in name only, > and St. Paul city government quietly may be headed > for yet another of its many transformations... > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
