"SN&R has published both news pieces and commentary about Mayor Kevin Johnson’s crusade for city charter reform to include a “strong mayor.” It was one of the issues he campaigned on. But there’s been much to consider on the subject in the 15 months since Johnson was elected.
First, there was Johnson’s quick move for an initiative to put the “strong mayor” plan on the ballot, with very little public discussion beforehand. He attempted, as we noted in these pages, to do an end run around the more reasoned (and, we might add, collaborative) approach that the other city leaders were willing to take.
Roughly a year ago, though, Johnson stopped the petition circulating for his strong-mayor initiative, citing it as a distraction from more pressing issues facing the city—specifically, the budget crisis and looming layoffs of city workers. We applauded the mayor for doing so. Next, the city council established the Sacramento Charter Review Committee, a body commissioned to examine the city charter and offer suggestions for its improvement, including a possible switch to a strong-mayor form."
First, there was Johnson’s quick move for an initiative to put the “strong mayor” plan on the ballot, with very little public discussion beforehand. He attempted, as we noted in these pages, to do an end run around the more reasoned (and, we might add, collaborative) approach that the other city leaders were willing to take.
Roughly a year ago, though, Johnson stopped the petition circulating for his strong-mayor initiative, citing it as a distraction from more pressing issues facing the city—specifically, the budget crisis and looming layoffs of city workers. We applauded the mayor for doing so. Next, the city council established the Sacramento Charter Review Committee, a body commissioned to examine the city charter and offer suggestions for its improvement, including a possible switch to a strong-mayor form."
