Another form of Goverment for Roswell:

[Saw]

Why I think that we need another form of goverment for Roswell:

FY 05-06 Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 Keep Roswell Beautiful (KRB) labor cost $15,024, total $36,644
Dept. 4262 Beautification Grant (BG) labor cost $6,400, total $36,070
Dept. 4251 &52 Civic Center (CC) total $310,833.
Sam is elected Mayor and Renne is employed by the city during this period of time.

FY 05-06 Mid-year Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor cost $10,152, total $31,801
Dept. 4262 BG labor cost $6,400 total $36,070
Dept. 4251 &52 CC total $328,859

FY 06-07 Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor $17,488, total $36,063
Dept. 4262 BG labor cost $7,360 total $34,531
Dept 4251 &52 CC total $331,630

FY 07-08 Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor cost $87,680, total $111,957
Dept. 4262 BG no labor total $28,613
Dept. 4251 &52 CC total $336,163.00
Jan.-2008 Renee's salary was $43,665 plus burden and benefits and is charged to dept. 4261 KRB. Before this time I do not know where her salary came from or how much she made. The amounts prior to this do not cover this kind of payroll cost.

FY 08-09 Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor $107,148, total $128,131
Dept. 4262 BG no labor, total $21,195
Dept. 4251 &52 total $341,476.
Dec-2008 Renee's salary was $47,223 plus B&B

FY 09-10 Mid Year Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor $98,488, total $152,191
Dept. 4251 CC total $438,441
Jan.-2010 Renee's salary was $49,585 plus B&B

FY 10-11 Preleminary Budget Summary

Dept. 4261 KRB labor $102,994, total $155,019
Dept. 4251 CC total $415,954
July-2010 Renee's salary was $53,105 plus B&B and dept. 4261 also has an marketing assistant at $29,571 and an KRB contract assistant billing out at $15.75 per hour. She now is the marketing manager and the public relations director which are not even departments in the city, where did those titles come from?. She also acts as manager of the civic center and visitors bureau as well as KRB which did not even need a manager five years ago.

Dept. 4251 CC has ten contract employees now which two are part time.

All of these salary increases would have been at the direction of John Capps. I can not blame Rennee for taking them. Almost $10,000 in a little over two years, not bad. The civic center budget has increased over $100,000 during the LaGrone reign.

This is why we need a form of goverment that the elected officals have a voice in the running of the city and the citizens of Roswell need a form of goverment that the elected officials are responsible to the citizens. What happen here is all legal and proper according to state law.

[Daisy]

Wow, that's pretty mind boggling...

I agree that we should have the type of government where the leaders WE elect make the decisions on how Roswell operates - NOT the city manager, who is appointed and not elected by the people.

[67cj5]

Wow! $10,000.00 in less than three years! Nice work if you can get it, but you can't. Know why? Because you are not a good ol boy Roswell attorney's daughter. Speaking of good ol boy attorney's kids, how is Michael Vickers salary coming along? I would think city planner is more important than marketing manager and the public relations director.

Another form of government may help, but as long as our city officials and employees are influenced by the same old group noting is going to change.

[Daisy]

Well, we have to start somewhere - actually, we already made a start in the last elections. A good next step would be a city charter with a different form of government. And then on to the next elections...

[Rumpole]

Thank you Saw for those enlightening stats. We can see what's happened while Mr. Capps has been the city mgr. Where were the city counselors who are supposed to be our reps and looking out for our best interests??? One, Mr. Henderson, was a paid consultant to Mr. Capps. I hope Mayor Jurney and the new city mgr can change this. But hoping won't get it done .... as long as their is public apathy and a lack of active citizen involvement in city government these kinds of things will continue.

Renee is doing very well by herself on the city payroll. A kingdom has been created at our expense. All that had to be approved by the city mgr and surely caught the attention of city councilors.

Bon voyage Mr. Capps. Have a nice retirement.

[Rumpole]

What does B&B mean?

plus burden and benefits

edit by BAW

[Saw]

Another reason that the city needs a different form of goverment is to have the elected officals hire a police chief not the city manager.

I don't want to see a police chief under the thumb of one man. When the city managers son is arrested I want to have a chief that can stand up to the pressure without fear of being fired.

[Daisy]

I totally agree! In this city, the city manager has ALL the power and is NOT elected by the people. That's just wrong!

It needs to be changed to where the people we elect run the city and if we don't like what they do, we can vote them out.

[Rumpole]

Who are the "good ole boys" and the "group" that influences city politics to the detriment of average citizens?

Would it be fair to say that the good ole boys are actively involved in city gov'mt while the average citizen is not (apathy)?

The City of Bell, CA is a good recent example of what can happen with city gov'mt when average citizens are apathetic and don't pay attention to what's going on in city gov'mt.

Many of us refer to the "good ole boys". Are we all talking about the same people and who are they?

[Saw]

The good old boys are the ones that are active in city politics but mostly for their own benefit.

They like the power and the prestige of power. For the most part
they are the ones that are behind the scenes and like being the big fish in the small pond.

They like the fact that they can call the right person and get special favors from city officials.

They are the ones that can get special favors for special city employees.

For instance with our present form of goverment the city manager can when requested by one of the good old boys hire the good old boy's son at a very good wage and might even create a department for the good old boy's son to head up.

[Murphy]

Originally Posted by Rumpole

Many of us refer to the "good ole boys". Are we all talking about the same people and who are they?

Here's another phrase that might help define this: "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". It's basically a network of friendships and the 'good ole boy' expression is used very loosely to define this. There are many 'good ole boys' in Roswell. There is no list of people's name that you can reference.

[pdc]

The "good ole boys" are the successful and influential with whom one disagrees.

The successful and influential with whom one agrees are the "community leaders"....

[Saw]

Re my post #1.

Renee went to work (hired by Capps) for the city in Feb. 2005 with a salary of $26,832.00 and her job title was manager of Keep Roswell Beautiful and Public Relations, two departsments that did not exist at that time as far as I can find. She now makes $53,105.00. She has zoomed by other department heads that have been employed much longer than she has been and manage much more important departments. This has all happened under the leadership of Capps.

Then Capps also employed his son. (City of Roswell Personnel Rules and Regulations 420.0 A No person shall be appointed to a position in any capacity if related to the Mayor, City Council member, City Manager or Assistant City Manager by consanguinity or affinity in a relationship to the third degree of kindred. -----)

Don't forget Capps having the judge keep his son out of Jail.

When I asked Capps why City Councilman Steve Henderson had an office at city hall he told me it was a tradeout for Hendersons consulting advice. Henderson has been on the city payroll for a long time. I think that all councilmen are supposed to furnish all of their expertise to the city. That is why we elect them. As far as I can tell that is all ( the trade out for an office) Henderson gets for consulting fees. Why him, why not all of the councilmen? Another reason for term limits.

Roswell deserves a goverment that is responsible to it's citizens.

I think that Roswell needs to join the majority of the major cities in NM and get a home rule charter.

[Rumpole]

Good point Saw. Henderson is one of ten city councilpeople. They're elected and paid to serve their constituents and the city. Why should one of them also be paid to be a consultant even if his pay is an office in city hall? If he has an office all councilors should have an office .... or not. Why is he treated differently and more favorably?

Definately need to change this form of city gov'mt but it will never happen with the people we have on the council now.

If Mr. Craig was unable to complete his term for some reason (heaven forbid) and the mayor appointed the person who came in 2nd in that race this council would not approve that appointment. The same thing that happened in 1996 when Mayor Jennnings appointed the candidate with the 2nd most votes and the council wouldn't approve the appointment.

[Saw]

How does a municipality gain home rule authority?

Any New Mexico municipality may gain home rule authority under the terms of the Home Rule Amendment by adopting a charter "in the manner provided by law." The procedure is defined in the Municipal Charter Act. The following is a summary of the major steps in the process:

1. The home process is initiated by:
a. the filing of a petion signed by at least 5 percent of the qualified electors of the municipality,

Or
b. the appointment of a charter commission by the governing body.

2. If initiated by petion, the mayor must appoint a charter commission within five days of the filing of the petion.

3. The charter commission, within 180 days of appointment, prepares a proposed charter and files it with the municipal clerk.

4. The governing body, within five days of filing, considers the proposed charter and either accepts or rejects it.

5. If the governing body rejects the proposed charter:
a. it is returned to the charter commission with a letter of transmittal;
b. the charter commision revises the charter in accordances with the in the letter of transmittal and files the revised charter with the municipal within 60 days after it was returned by the governing body.
c. the governing body considers the revised charter; and
d. this process is repeated as often as necessary until the governing body approves a charter.

6. When the governing body approves a charter, the mayor issues a proclaimation calling for a special election to be held within 60 days of the filing of the charter on the question of adoptation of the propose charter.

7. If the adoption of the special election are against adoption of the charter, no subsequent charter election may be held for at least two years.

8. If the results are in favor of adoption:
a. the charter becomes effective immediately insofar as necessary to authorize the elections of new officers; and
b. the charter becomes fully effective on the date specified in the charter, which must be 60 days after the special charter election.

9. If the charter requires the election of new officers, the mayor must issue a proclaimation calling a special election to be held 10 days prior to the date the charter is to become effective.

10. The home rule adoption process is complete when the municipality begains operations under the charter on the date specified in the charter.

(copied from the NM Municipal League basic guide for home rule)

[Ardist]

Saw,
These questions may have been asked and replied to previously, if so I apologize for asking again but I have not seen the replies.

Which form of government is Roswell operating under at present?

What is specifically wrong with the present form of government?

What are specific examples of the advantages of a home rule form of government over what Roswell is at present governed under?

Las Cruces is a home rule municipality with a Mayor Council form of government and has a very strong City Manager. how does Las Cruces differ from the situation in Roswell?

Albuquerque is a home rule municipality with a Mayor Commission form of government with a Chief Administrative Officer who answers to the Mayor and Commission. How is the Albuquerque form of government that much different from Roswell's?

Without a comparison of the advantages versus disadvantages of the various configurations of governing options available it would seem to be very difficult to convince a governing body to accept the idea of appointing a charter commission, do you agree?

[Saw]

The form of goverment for Roswell is Mayor/Council/Manager. The rules are made by the state which defines the powers/duties of the council, the mayor, and the city manager. Some of those cities that you state are home rule which also have a mayor, council, and a manager and the difference is the city charter dictates the powers/duties of the mayor, council, and manager are.

Some of the advantages of home rule:
1. Home rule gives a municipal greater flexibility in its approach to municipal problems. Answers can be "tailor made" to fit local situations.
2. Home rule gives a municipal the authority to establish any desired form of goverment.
3. The provisions of a home rule charter prevail over the terms of an inconsistant state statute, at least where the statute does not expressly deny to a municipality the authority to provide a different rule.
4. Home rule may cause local citizens to be more interested in, and more willing to participate in, local goverment.
5. Home rule places local decisions making in the hands of local officials and makes them more resposible for their decisions.
6. The quality of municipal goverment may be improved under home rule because local officials are more firmly responsible for that quality.
7. Home rule helps to protect a muncipality from undue legislative interference.
8. Home rule allows for prompt response to immediate local concerns rather than waiting for posible state action.
9. Home rule answers are considered by those who should know most about the problem rather than legislators from other parts of the state who usually have other, more pressing concerns.

(copied from the NM Municipal League home rule in NM basic guide.)

Some of the things that I feel are important that a home rule charter can provide.

1. Term limits
2. provisions for recall and dismissal of appointed officials.
3. more powers can be given to the elected officals and less to the city manager.
4. a flexible tool that can be revised by the voters.
5. mandatory retirement.
6. more input from the citizens of Roswell

The home rule charter can do about anything as long as the state statues do not forbid it. The powers of home rule municipalites in NM are very broad. Seven of the largest cities in NM have a home rule charter and Carlsbad's charter does not comply with the state stautues which makes eight maybe because of being Grandfathered in.

[shotgun]

Home rule for the city of Roswell..........is the city manager

[Ardist]

1. The home process is initiated by:
a. the filing of a petion signed by at least 5 percent of the qualified electors of the municipality,

Or
b. the appointment of a charter commission by the governing body.

1.a. City of Roswell qualified electors =
8482 Democrats
10464 Republicans
3366 Decline to state party
678 Other
______
22990 Qualified Electors
x 5%
______
1150 Valid Petition signatures



1.b. Governing body = 10 Councilors 5 wards 1 Mayor (tie breaker?)

6 Council votes
or
5 Council votes and 1 Mayor (tie breaker vote)

Looks possible

[jim]

It may be a longshot with the current council. I also was surprised by some votes re the sign ordinance. Getting 1150, or round-off to 1200+, registered voters to sign a petition seems doable. That requires people willing and able to get those signatures on the petition and make sure they're registered voters. That's probably a door-to-door thing.

Unless we can change at least two councilors at the next election doing anything re change with the current council will be difficult. That's no reason not to try tho.