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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Should Fairfax City Change Its Councilmembers' Term Limits?
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City Council
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Date: June 12, 2013 05:58AM
Should Fairfax City Change Its Councilmembers' Term Limits?
In the first review of the City Charter in 30 years, the City-appointed independent City Charter Commission is recommending extending terms to four years.
http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/should-fairfax-city-change-its-councilmembers-term-limits
In its report to the City Council during Tuesday night's work session, the independent City-appointed Charter Commission presented a limited number of suggested changes to the City Council and Mayor Scott Silverthorne.
In one of them, the City Charter Commission recommended the City of Fairfax change its terms for the mayor and City Council, extending them from two to four years.
Spokesman for the City Charter Commission, former Mayor John Mason, said this was the second time such a recommendation had been made. Thirty years ago, during the last review of the City's charter back in 1983, then-members of the commission made the same suggestion.
Former Mayor Mason said there were a number of reasons for such a suggestion, but the foremost reason was allowing elected officials more time to gain experience.
"Most of the first year in office is just learning the ropes. And then, frankly, forgive me - but most of us, in our last six months, before the next election, become rather cautious," Mason said.
He added, he and the commission felt that allowing elected officials four years in office would also help them to "think more long-term" when it comes to issues like budgets and taxes, transportation, and many others, as well as allow them to gain more experience in their roles.
Mason said another issue the City Charter Commission looked at closely was whether or not to move City elections from May to November.
Though some felt that moving local elections from May to November when nationwide candidates and issues might increase voter turnout - which, as Tuesday's Democratic Primary showed, tend to be low when it is just local or even statewide matters and candidates - most agreed that keeping local elections in May would help keep them less partisan, and help keep local issues at the forefront rather than getting lost in the shuffle of nationwide issues.
All members of the Council appeared to agree with that decision.
"I appreciate you recommending we keep with May elections and help make them less partisan," Councilman Dan Drummond said to the Charter Commission. "I think there’s been a move afoot lately to make town and city elections more partisan."
One change Mayor Silverthorne told Patch he had hoped the City Charter Commission would recommend would be one that would allow the Mayor to have a vote in important City matters such as taxes and spending.
Silverthorne said, most people don't realize that the Mayor is not part of the City Council, and therefore does not have a vote.
"It's frustrating - when people send me e-mails saying I shouldn't raise the tax rate, they don't understand, I don't have a vote," he told Patch prior to the meeting.
Silverthorne said the City of Fairfax is one of the only municipalities in which the mayor does not have a vote - that in other local towns and cities like Alexandria, Herndon, Vienna, Falls Church and others, the mayor can vote.
He said, in addition to the fact that he thinks it makes it more difficult for mayors like himself to make their feelings on an issue like raising taxes or spenditures known, he said it can be a nightmare if a tie situation happens.
With six councilmembers, if a 3-3 tie on a voting matter happens, the mayor cannot break the tie, when it comes to taxes and spending of $500 or more.
Silverthorne said, in those cases, his only recourse is "to hold them in Council Chambers until somebody breaks, but that's it."
However, former Mayor John Mason said, the fact that the mayor of the City of Fairfax can't vote is actually a Commonwealth charter issue, not a City charter issue.
Silverthorne pointed out that a way around that law would be to amend the City charter to make the Mayor an official part of the City Council.
Silverthorne directly asked Mason whether that had been considered by the City Charter Commission in their review.
Mason replied that, yes, it had been considered, but that "there was a general sensing that the current structure works well [the way it is]."
Councilman David Meyer said he tended to agree, and feels the current structure encourages councilmembers to work harder to come to a consensus.
"I think, we’ve always had a 'council-centric' group, and working toward consensus is not always easy to do," Meyer said.
Former Fairfax City Mayor John Mason reported to the City Council June 11 on the recommendations of the independent City-appointed City Charter Commission.
Attachments:
In the first review of the City Charter in 30 years, the City-appointed independent City Charter Commission is recommending extending terms to four years.
http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/should-fairfax-city-change-its-councilmembers-term-limits
In its report to the City Council during Tuesday night's work session, the independent City-appointed Charter Commission presented a limited number of suggested changes to the City Council and Mayor Scott Silverthorne.
In one of them, the City Charter Commission recommended the City of Fairfax change its terms for the mayor and City Council, extending them from two to four years.
Spokesman for the City Charter Commission, former Mayor John Mason, said this was the second time such a recommendation had been made. Thirty years ago, during the last review of the City's charter back in 1983, then-members of the commission made the same suggestion.
Former Mayor Mason said there were a number of reasons for such a suggestion, but the foremost reason was allowing elected officials more time to gain experience.
"Most of the first year in office is just learning the ropes. And then, frankly, forgive me - but most of us, in our last six months, before the next election, become rather cautious," Mason said.
He added, he and the commission felt that allowing elected officials four years in office would also help them to "think more long-term" when it comes to issues like budgets and taxes, transportation, and many others, as well as allow them to gain more experience in their roles.
Mason said another issue the City Charter Commission looked at closely was whether or not to move City elections from May to November.
Though some felt that moving local elections from May to November when nationwide candidates and issues might increase voter turnout - which, as Tuesday's Democratic Primary showed, tend to be low when it is just local or even statewide matters and candidates - most agreed that keeping local elections in May would help keep them less partisan, and help keep local issues at the forefront rather than getting lost in the shuffle of nationwide issues.
All members of the Council appeared to agree with that decision.
"I appreciate you recommending we keep with May elections and help make them less partisan," Councilman Dan Drummond said to the Charter Commission. "I think there’s been a move afoot lately to make town and city elections more partisan."
One change Mayor Silverthorne told Patch he had hoped the City Charter Commission would recommend would be one that would allow the Mayor to have a vote in important City matters such as taxes and spending.
Silverthorne said, most people don't realize that the Mayor is not part of the City Council, and therefore does not have a vote.
"It's frustrating - when people send me e-mails saying I shouldn't raise the tax rate, they don't understand, I don't have a vote," he told Patch prior to the meeting.
Silverthorne said the City of Fairfax is one of the only municipalities in which the mayor does not have a vote - that in other local towns and cities like Alexandria, Herndon, Vienna, Falls Church and others, the mayor can vote.
He said, in addition to the fact that he thinks it makes it more difficult for mayors like himself to make their feelings on an issue like raising taxes or spenditures known, he said it can be a nightmare if a tie situation happens.
With six councilmembers, if a 3-3 tie on a voting matter happens, the mayor cannot break the tie, when it comes to taxes and spending of $500 or more.
Silverthorne said, in those cases, his only recourse is "to hold them in Council Chambers until somebody breaks, but that's it."
However, former Mayor John Mason said, the fact that the mayor of the City of Fairfax can't vote is actually a Commonwealth charter issue, not a City charter issue.
Silverthorne pointed out that a way around that law would be to amend the City charter to make the Mayor an official part of the City Council.
Silverthorne directly asked Mason whether that had been considered by the City Charter Commission in their review.
Mason replied that, yes, it had been considered, but that "there was a general sensing that the current structure works well [the way it is]."
Councilman David Meyer said he tended to agree, and feels the current structure encourages councilmembers to work harder to come to a consensus.
"I think, we’ve always had a 'council-centric' group, and working toward consensus is not always easy to do," Meyer said.
Former Fairfax City Mayor John Mason reported to the City Council June 11 on the recommendations of the independent City-appointed City Charter Commission.
Attachments: