On the eve of the eve of the city council election (which will be Tuesday), we find ourselves reflecting on Morgantown’s city government.
The last couple years have been particularly tumultuous, with claims that the city manager doesn’t live in the city and an attempt to recall the entire city council, which seemed to fizzle out.
Residents of Morgantown will have the opportunity to make their thoughts on individual councilors known Tuesday, when voters will choose who will represent the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th wards for the next four years. Unfortunately, city council elections tend to have dismally low voter turnout. We wonder, would people be more motivated to participate in city elections if they were voting for a strong mayoral candidate, rather than for council members who share equal power?
We’re thinking about the way presidential elections galvanize voters in a way that midterm elections don’t. Or the way that people coalesce around a gubernatorial candidate but may feel indifferent about their state representatives. Would Morgantown residents be more engaged with city-level politics if we had a strong mayor-style government (aka, mayor-council) rather than a council-manager structure?
Morgantown currently has a council-manager setup. Council members are elected by the people, with a mayor chosen by councilors from amongst the council members. In this structure, the mayor is largely ceremonial: They preside over council meetings, but otherwise have the same amount of authority as other members. It’s the city manager who acts as the chief administrator. The whole council chooses a city manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city, such as budgeting, handling personnel and implementing city ordinances. The position of city manager is usually full-time and nonpartisan and filled by someone who likely has public management experience.
In a mayor-council government, the mayor is a politician who is elected separately from the rest of the city council and is considered the chief administrator. Depending on the city, the mayor tends to be separate from council but with the ability to propose and veto legislation, and/or handle administrative duties, much like a city manager does.
Morgantown’s charter specifically calls for a council with shared responsibilities, a mayor who is chosen from amongst the council and a city manager hired by the council. But just because that’s how it’s been doesn’t mean that’s the way it must always be.
So, Morgantown residents, we would like to know: Which would you prefer — a council-manager government like we have, or a mayor-council structure with a “strong” mayor at the helm?
You can fill out our one-question survey at https://forms.gle/yWWRtCFCB3RTDFbJ8 or scan the QR code. The survey offers an opportunity to submit your answer as a letter to the editor. You can also email your answer to opinion@dominionpost.com.
Voting closes at noon Wednesday.
