EDMONDS — Mayors have run this 120-year-old city since George Brackett first held the office in 1890.
As Mayor Gary Haakenson prepares to leave the office he’s held since January 2000, some City Council members say it might be time to consider doing away with the strong-mayor form of government.
In its place, council members Michael Plunkett and Diane Buckshnis say they’d like the city to consider having a city manager hold the city’s top job.
Plunkett has been pushing for a city manager-run city for months. He’d like his council colleagues to back his proposal to place a resolution on the Nov. 2 ballot this year asking voters whether they’d like to make the change.
To get it on the ballot, the council would have to approve the proposal by Aug. 10.
“I think the council is willing to give the voters the opportunity to decide,” Plunkett said.
Haakenson, 62, is scheduled to begin work July 6 as Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon’s deputy, replacing Mark Soine, who resigned. Haakenson’s last scheduled day of work as mayor is July 1.
Tuesday, the council is expected to discuss how to replace Haakenson, who’s four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2011.
Unlike mayors, who are elected to office and oversee city staff, city managers are part of the city’s staff. City managers run several cities in the county, including Mountlake Terrace, Mill Creek, Snohomish and Monroe. In those cities, mayors are elected by the council but do not directly supervise employees.
Plunkett said he favors appointing someone to serve as mayor through 2011 who isn’t interested in campaigning for the next mayoral term that begins January 2012.
“I think I’d just as soon have us appoint a caretaker interim mayor,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re going to vote on a city manager, hopefully as soon as November.”
Council President Steve Bernheim said he’d prefer to follow the procedure used to appoint council members to vacant seats. In that process, the council reviews applications and appoints someone after public interviews.
Buckshnis said it’s important for people to understand the difference between a council-manager form of government and a directly elected mayor.
“I don’t think the public really understands the difference between having a professional administrator and (elected) mayor,” she said.
The council has appointed two council members since 2008. Soon, it will appoint someone to fill the seat vacated by Dave Orvis, who resigned in May to spend more time with his family.
“I’m a process guy,” Bernheim said. “Unless someone has a better idea, I would expect to use the same procedure we have used to fill these city council positions.”
By law, the council has 90 days beginning July 2 to appoint the interim mayor. The appointee could be a council member or another Edmonds resident who’s registered to vote and has lived in the city for at least a year.
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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