Hal -
I'm unable to call in during the mayor's visit to the show this morning, but will be listening. I'd like to pose the question below to the mayor for his opinion.
Mr. Mayor
You have been very vocal in your opposition to the petition being circulated which seeks to hold a voter referendum to allow Hickory citizens to decide if the voting system should be changed.
As we know, the system was changed in 1968 after two votes were held within a 48-hour period with only 4 councilmen voting in favor. The vote was essentially a vote to change Hickory's City Charter - our constitution so to speak.
In 1988 a referendum was approved by Council and placed on the ballot for voter approval. The issue was whether the City should sell water to other municipalities. After a fair and spirited public debate, the issue passed.
My question is this - how can an issue such as allowing the City to provide water to other municipalities (at no cost to the City, actually the City makes a decent profit off of water sales), if this issue rises to the level of needing voter approval, how does making a change to the City Charter NOT rise to the same level of importance?
No formal or official citizen input was considered during the process back in 1968 - no public hearings were even held. Again, the issue passed with a 4-3 vote.
Please allow a voter referendum to proceed and give the citizens of Hickory the right to choose - a right they were denied in 1968.
The Hound says that the Mayor speaketh with forked tongue when it comes to this issue. We will give the Mayor the benefit of the doubt on the petition issue, because people have told the Citizens for Equity in Government that they have been asked not to sign the petition. The biggest issues are that the Mayor is saying that Ward representatives under a Ward specific system wouldn't represent other wards. They only represent two wards now -- Ward 1 (Downtown) and Ward 6 (North Hickory along 127). The other wards are left to fend for themselves. He also said that it would lead to cronysism. That is what we have under the present system that has led to Bloc voting, where this city has for years been controlled by two wards, which basically comprises a handful of people and their whims and fancies.
The biggest issue is debate. The City officials don't want issues debated. I like the Mayor's phrase "Heavy Handed," because that is exactly what we have seen. They have manipulated and controlled issues towards their personal desires. They could care less what the public wants, but if you sat down and had a heart-to-heart with the City Council they wouldn't know what they wanted either. That is why they are going to all of these cities to see what they are doing, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but they need to start having some ideas of their own, because as another commenter stated, they are our leaders and we elected them to lead and to have ideas. If they can't do that, then they need to get out of the way and let someone else have a shot at being a leader.
There were other parts of this interview relating to Young Professionals and Boards and Commissions that I found very perplexing. I will address those very soon, but for now I am headed to this Entrepreneurial event. And this should be very interesting.
* In the original submission I stated ward 4. I meant Ward 6. It is obvious that Ward 4 (South and Southwest Hickory) have not been represented that is the reason that they have fallen in such disrepair.
* The Mayor stated that the direct ward system leads to cronyism. That is what we presently have with the bloc voting related to the modified at-large system. This current council makes deals. If you are from Ward 4 and you don't do what I want, then I'm going to work to ensure that my constituents end your tenure on Council, because my bloc (from North Hickory) is going to vote you out.
* The Mayor doesn't want a vote, because a vote most likely leads to a change in the system. The Mayor seems to think that he knows best and that the citizens aren't smart enough to understand what is best for them. The Mayor seems to confuse the "Right Way" with the "Wright Way."
1961 -- A lesson in Hickory's History
1967 - How we got where we are today
The History of At-Large voting in Hickory - The HDR articles and Council Minutes Documents
Hal Row's First Talk - CEG discussion about Ward Specific Voting - The Interview
1 comment:
Fork, spoon, and knife. He's got an entire cutlery set in there depending on who is being addressed at the time. I'm pretty sure the Hound gets the knife on a regular basis, without benefit of knowing it.
I find it incredulous that the Mayor actually thinks and they says reverting back to a true ward representation form of government would result in cronyism. You're kidding right? He said that? Just when you think you've heard it all, something like this smacks you in the forehead proclaiming, "not yet."
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