In a bluntly worded report, the majority of a citizens committee has recommended that the city change its form of government and switch to a full-time mayor - an issue that was defeated by a public vote in 1989.
But some people on the 10-member committee have put forth their own - and quite different - recommendations in equally frank position papers.Three reports were presented Tuesday to the West Jordan City Council, and the council plans to decide Tuesday, June 16, whether to put the issue of a full-time mayor and/or governmental change on the November ballot.
"We feel very strongly about it," said Chris Buttars, the committee chairman. "Under the present system, the mayor is a council member with a fancy title."
Buttars and six other committee members recommended changing to a full-time mayor who would be the city's executive officer handling the day-to-day workings of government. Under the proposal,
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the council would be a legislative and budgetary body that creates policy.
Currently, a full-time city manager handles daily city business, and the part-time mayor conducts city meetings and is West Jordan's ceremonial figure.
The majority report said West Jordan is at a disadvantage with surrounding communities that have full-time mayors because those mayors can lobby extensively for government grants for such things as road improvements or work to attract new businesses.
"In this comparison, we have become content with a small vein, while our sister cities have anchored themselves into a main artery," the report said.
A full-time mayor also would better address citizen concerns and make city government more accountable and credible, the report said.
"Have you ever come to City Hall in West Jordan?" the report asks. "Have you asked to see the mayor? Sorry, he's at work. Did you ever get to the person in charge? West Jordan has a history of an ongoing problem with this type of access and accountability."
Committee member Ron Drake issued his own minority report, stating that he favored a full-time mayor but did not want the form of government changed.
However, committee member Lyle Summers suggested in yet another report that West Jordan's government stay as is.
Among other things, Summers' report said the current form of government provides more democratic representation, more checks and balances and a professional, trained city manager. Summers said making a change would create "power politics" with a full-time mayor holding all the cards, as well as increase costs and cause conflicts and staff upheaval.
Summers' report said that demographics, geography, population and an educated work force - not politics - are responsible for West Jordan's current and future economic development.
Summers' report included the name of committee member Kay Simpson, but he later said she was not at the meeting and did not have a chance to review the final draft of his report so her support for this position is somewhat unclear.