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Century Rejects Charter Draft Giving Mayor’s Power To Town Manager
April 13, 2023
The Century Town Council sat down with their attorney to review a draft charter this week to discover it was not what a charter review committee recommended.
The Century Charter Review Committee worked about three years, including pandemic delays, to create a new charter that was submitted to the town council to review and possibly place on an upcoming ballot. The committee spent a great deal of their time deciding on a form of government for Century, ultimately settling on a strong mayor – town council as is currently in place. The committee never voted on their draft, but it was submitted to the council by consultant Buz Eddy.
Last October, attorney Matt Dannheisser and consultant Eddy suggested that the council instead look at a charter that has a town manager – town council form of government. A mayor might still be elected, but it would mostly be a ceremonial position held by one of five council members with no real power, they said in October. Unable to take a vote because the meeting was just a workshop, the council reached the consensus that they would give official direction to Dannheisser at a future meeting.
Fast forward to this week.
The council called another workshop meeting with Dannheisser. He returned with a draft charter, he said created at the council’s direction, with a council-manager form of government. There would be a town manager and town clerk responsible for daily operations. One of the five council members would serve as a figurehead mayor — cutting ribbons, making ceremonial appearances and having no special authority as mayor.
“According to the document we created being part of the charter review committee, it doesn’t match. In our document that we submitted in July is as mayor-council form of government,” Shelisa McCall said. She served on the town’s charter review committee prior to her recent election to town council.
“My position as CEO of the town is being dissolved, and it will be five council members,” Mayor Ben Boutwell said.
“We are discussing taking all of the power away from the community,” Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. said, referring to the amount of control that would be taken away from the council, and the elimination of a mayor, in Dannheisser’s draft presented this week based upon instruction from the council last October. “I guess I am just skeptical, it might have an alternative motive at the beginning…that’s just opinion.”
“Personally, I am against getting rid of the mayor,” council member Alicia Johnson added. “I think that’s something that we say, ‘no we don’t agree with that’. We mark through that one and go forward.”
With a general consensus against a town manager — and supporting a strong mayor and council — the council decided to return to the job of reviewing the old charter line by line, along with the charter review committee’s draft, and perhaps some of the draft presented by the attorney.
The council will schedule a series of workshops over the next several months for their work. The attorney won’t take part at first, in order to save money, but he will review the council’s eventual final draft for legality.
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
Pictured top: Century town council member Shelisa McCall addresses attorney Matt Dannheisser. Pictured top inset: Dannheisser explains the charter to the town council. Pictured lower inset: Mayor Ben Boutwell. Pictured below: Council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson and council President Luis Gomez, Jr. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Century Rejects Charter Draft Giving Mayor’s Power To Town Manager”
Here’s an idea:
Find the original draft proposed by the charter committee and review it line by line instead of the old charter. The attorney changed the original draft to create a town manager – council format.
Find the original and put it up for council review.
Seems like a new counsel is in desperate need. This town is making its final round in the toilet bowl before the gurgle. I haven’t seen a positive direction(except for the current mayor) in this town in……EVER!!!!!
“With a general consensus against a town manager — and supporting a strong mayor and council — the council decided to return to the job of reviewing the old charter line by line”… Which the charter review committee already did.
“The council will schedule a series of workshops over the next several months for their work. The attorney won’t take part at first, in order to save money, but he will review the council’s eventual final draft for legality.”… The charter review committee also had work shops. And the attorney was supposed to review the proposed charter for legality, but instead rewrote it.
Amen Jim !!!
The most simple solution is to amend the charter to make it more like Jay. In Jay, the mayor is the leader of the council “and” runs the executive branch. That is a common model in Mayor-Council forms of government not only in small places like Jay but also in large cities like Orlando. The key is that one person is elected to be in charge. Mayor Boutwell already has to attend the council meetings and can participate so it’s not much of a stretch to let him be in charge of preparing the agenda, run the meetings and vote. The Council President and Council Vice President positions would go away. A referendum can be held this summer to ask voters to make the changes. The referendum can be held using the vote-by-mail method with pre-paid postage ballot return envelopes to maximize participation. Doing this alone would make a big difference. On the other hand, if Century voters don’t want one person clearly in charge then someone should ask them what they do want. With the mayor in charge, Century will get more done faster and better. And you’ll end the endless bickering between mayors and council presidents. Plus, because the mayor will become a member of the town’s “governing body” (a state law term) the mayor will be made subject to removal from office by voters using the state’s Municipal Recall law.
Be better off disbanding the crooked council. Century is failing fast because of fools making decisions.
Something about this whole situation just doesn’t seem right. Why would the town’s attorney draw up a totally different charter than what was presented by the Century charter review and what is the reason for eliminating the office of Mayor? I hope and pray that the council does not even consider this proposal. Maybe it’s time for Century to hire a new town attorney.
I don’t know who the people are that are trying their best to destroy Century even more by wanting to do away with the Mayor but I suggest the town people speak up about this. Especially when they are not even town residents. Don’t let this bunch come in and take over the town and make it the way they want the town. Citizens of Century please go to the town meeting and make sure what is going on in your town before those people completely destroy your town. Take pride in Century and don’t let it be destroyed by people that couldn’t care less.I love Century and pray it can be a thriving town again. Keep your Mayor and demolish the bunch on the Century Charter Review Committee
Remember people only a FOOL gives up their right to vote for their leader. The two that are suggesting doing away with the mayor are not even town residents and have no real interest here. A town manager wouldn’t be anything more than a “yes person” keep three council members happy and they would keep their job, no matter what the citizens want.