A blue-ribbon citizens' committee has recommended that West Valley City keep its council-manager form of government.
In a report submitted Thursday night to the City Council, the seven-member committee said a professional city manager offers the city efficiency, protection against political influences, less conflict and greater continuity.Under the present system, West Valley City is governed by a seven-member council chaired by a part-time mayor, with the city manager running the day-to-day operations of the city government.
"We feel it is the best form of government and has served the city well," the committee concluded.
The committee was chaired by Jared W. Christensen and included members Jeffrey E. Beck, Marjorie Oswald, Peter Thompson, Steve Warren, M. Lane Warner and Jan S. Crane. Brigham Young University professor Doyle Buckwalter, an expert on local government, served as the committee's consultant.
The City Council requested the study in response to efforts by a group called the Coalition for Accountable Government to change West Valley's government to a council-mayor form, where a full-time mayor administers the city.
The committee reasoned that the council/manager form of government "features a full-time administrator who has been professionally trained and educated and is experienced in running the day-to-day affairs of the city in an effective, businesslike manner."
Also, the manager isn't diverted by the politics of running for re-election. And, "It is much easier to unfavorably sway or politically influence one mayor than it would be to unfavorably influence a majority of a seven-member council and/or the city manager, who answers to the entire council."
The committee said the manager form provides a "unified legislative agenda" as well, while a strong mayor "may choose to loosely or poorly administer the policy of the council."
And if the manager doesn't do his job, "a simple majority of four votes" will get him or her fired. A mayor, on the other hand, serves for four years regardless of performance.
Despite those advantages, the committee conceded that "a full-time mayor makes a statement of importance and representation for the city" and is perceived as more influential and powerful. It also noted that under the council/mayor form, voters decide who runs the city.
Alluding to those issues, the committee recommended that West Valley's mayor become more active in the public arena. "As the second-largest city in the state, we ought to have more visibility, influence and political clout," the committee said.
It also recommended that the council subject the manager to a performance review twice a year to address concerns about accountability. "This would give direction, increased unity, understanding and reassurance to all parties concerned," the report said.
West Valley City became a city in 1980 with a commission form of government. A blue-ribbon committee in 1982 recommended that it adopt the council/manager form, and voters agreed in 1983.
Earlier this year, the Coalition for Accountable Government renewed its petition drive to put the option of a council/mayor form of government before voters.
Coalition chairman Ed Persons said the committee report won't deter that effort and predicted that voters will eventually support a change. He cited a recent Deseret News/KSL-TV poll that showed 44 percent of the city's residents in favor of the proposed council/mayor form.
"And the people who are undecided," - 26 percent, according to the poll - "will support us when they learn more about the issue," Persons said.
While acknowledging his own bias, City Manager John Patterson said just the opposite will happen. The more information is made public, the more the public will appreciate the current form of government, Patterson said.