Editorial: Spotlight shines on City Hall disarray - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:
"Amid disarray in City Hall, Sacramento's business leadership is rightly focused on the rifts within the City Council and the need to make sure the city's building department is run properly.
Yet a letter recently circulated by Steve Ayers, the CEO of Armour Steel Company, has created more questions than answers on where the business community is heading on these issues."
Does it want to be a unifying force? Or will it take an overly aggressive stance that could further divide the city?
In his letter to other business owners, Ayers noted that Mayor Kevin Johnson's ballot measure for "strong mayor" authority is a source of tension. The politics of this proposal, wrote Ayers, "is tearing the city council apart."
Ayers was a top supporter of Johnson's opponent, former Mayor Heather Fargo, so he may be overstating things a bit. Yet there's no doubt many on the council think Johnson is overreaching with his strong-mayor proposal. It's also encouraging that Ayers and other business leaders are interested in brokering a compromise that might avoid a costly ballot battle on this proposal.
"Amid disarray in City Hall, Sacramento's business leadership is rightly focused on the rifts within the City Council and the need to make sure the city's building department is run properly.
Yet a letter recently circulated by Steve Ayers, the CEO of Armour Steel Company, has created more questions than answers on where the business community is heading on these issues."
Does it want to be a unifying force? Or will it take an overly aggressive stance that could further divide the city?
In his letter to other business owners, Ayers noted that Mayor Kevin Johnson's ballot measure for "strong mayor" authority is a source of tension. The politics of this proposal, wrote Ayers, "is tearing the city council apart."
Ayers was a top supporter of Johnson's opponent, former Mayor Heather Fargo, so he may be overstating things a bit. Yet there's no doubt many on the council think Johnson is overreaching with his strong-mayor proposal. It's also encouraging that Ayers and other business leaders are interested in brokering a compromise that might avoid a costly ballot battle on this proposal.