HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 02-23 The Great Debate THE REVIEW Wed..Feb.21,1977 THE REVIEW
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LES AXDAHL,right.former Maplewood mayor.speaks to the crowd as last week's North St.Paul-
Maplewood Area Chamber of Commerce meeting.Also pictured From lett are:Councilman John
Greasy,Cha mber President Dick Garry and Councilman Don l%iegert.
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Officials discuss form of Maplewood government
by Anne Skinner "The manager has the right to hire or "We(business andindustry)pay 50 to
fire anyone on the staff at the drop of a 60 percent of the taxes.The staff has an
The debate focused around one hat,and to delegate authority.but to fire anti-business relationship with us.Once
question: Should the Maplewood city him takes a majonty of the council.The we (who worked against the sign or-
government be changed?Jerry Mogren. cost today for eight people on the staff is a dinancet were able to get through the
2855 Frederick St..and John Greavu,117 quarter of a million dollars.and that's commissions and got to the council,I had
Crestview Dr.. spoke in favor of the lust in salary alone,not counting the raise had more comments about'boy are they
jerks at Maplewood'.but once we got to
annLe.Donald =09 2119Duluth PIe they want in June. the council,we got more than we asked
and Lex Axdahl.Z'09 Payne Ave..spoke "fears ago. if someone came to me for.
agairst it. with a problem. I could get it fixed. rButthestaf[isstilldaggingitttosipt
Held during the North St. Paul- Today.I have to tell them to go through or-But t e[.Maybe thell form is
Maplewood Area Chamber of Commerce the city manager.who will fix it in his own ordinance).
.Mayo we've managergnt wrongi
regular meeting Feb. 17, the debate time We should be able to control the city good,buThere is ancomparisonotthe bet-
Maplewood's
raised several key issues about government the way it should be run.For manager.Nor' St.Paul—where get
Maplewood's government:is the current the past seven or eight years,we've gone seen doneSt.Puland Maplewood theyet
form(Plan B,effective and efficient?Is backward and cost the taxpayers a lot of thiwhere they dog itsmoothly.longaspl can.We
the council or the staff creating dif- money: - have a problem aslo as theycaplannen. e
faculties at City Hall?Who really controls "We have a personnel director we're hsehave sent the the road. a
e
the city staff?And has the Plan B form of paying money to,but we're going on the shouldun lime ago.beenLI I had gotten complaints
gosernment initiated or precipitated outside to do the work.to negotiate the to nut who ttefor
now,e,av increased spending in Maplewood's city contracts.I spend more time now working about 't someonen taken workedme too long to it
operations' in city government because I don't know wouhim road.k [eon'[think John p""
The Plan B form of government,under what's going on now.Then(under Plan A) him down the Don tIe don't have John e
which Maplewood has been operating for I did(know what was going oni.' talkedGto the guy.
about seven years, involves a city "I don't even think it's possible for a
manager who has the power to hire and LES AXDAHL:"I don't really believe councilmandonton tkinanotherdepartment -
fire the city staff as well as administer the the effectiveness or the efficiency of oncgoingtthroughthe manager. I
city's business. North St. Paul and government depends on the form of think we need a change."
Maplewood are two local examples of government.The council is responsible
Plan B form of government.The council for the operation of the government.It DON\\.FFGERT:"We have a cotncit-
creates policy and gives the staff direr• can dictate this policy or another,or say, er form of government, the
lion 'we will get this information'or'staff will' g
council's the one that makes the damn
Plan A form of government delegates perform a function.' joint' Since Plan B went into effect,
the city manager's powers and duties to "Under Plans A or B.it in the council's ur 1 um ulation has increased 50 percent
the council members, who are the prerogative to involve the people. The our business and industry has in- I
primary delegating body.Under Plan A, council has to dictate these are the and creased 100 percent.My observation of
no city manager exists.Local examples of lengths to which people will be involved, Plan A has been that the council did a
this type of government are Oakdale and not keep re-referring issues between the helluva lot of work,including catching an
Shoreview. l and the planning commission. awful tat from the citizens.
The speakers'responses follow: UdUnder Plan B. the council has the "I didn't vote for Plan B because I
authority to pass an ordinance and thought it was remature at that point.
JOHN GRE "Having served on authorize the government's operating But I thought under Plan B the manager
the council under both forms of govern- effectiveness, or hire and fire the would do more of the work(the council #
ment(since ,1 should have the right manager. had been doing).All cities in Minnesota r
to know what'sis going on at City Hall and I "It's the old political game:there are that are our size use Plan B.with a few k1
don't know what's going on.In the last sin things that are popular and things that lions,which are home rule charter t,
or seven years,seeing all that's happened are unpopular.Plan B makes the council exceptions, t
and seeing people haggled about having to into less of a popularity contest and cities.
M ybe under this form,there is staff
v.:10 a it n penult t.-d60 or 90 y creates a moret responsive
rnie and respof' ineptness, hut the important thug to ,
I Fere of city feote form of government. The eG Rt
.gone a .h this form fectavenes-of the goverment is of the remember is that it's the council that tells 1 of go,:l
f form, but the council vetting p lieu A the to t ager what to do.If it iso't what
r change wilt mit re,,,,,,,, any of the you want done.it isn't one guy who makes
irai!""?"+F"`v`s" '-`uerite maria"" < problems but achange inthe council-staff the decision,its three guys and maybe r.
relations could" four guys(council majority)telling the
staff what to do
JERRY MOGREN: "I've seen both 'Then sn't a job sr salary that hasn't
been tabbshed by the council.They're I.
piers (ofgovernment) work as a s a pretty proxy.but what has
businessman,
at when hen the .:Kn or- +re of government is the ..
yy tne run Artane tom ( ,s t i dont
even know won staff' is Ti" .:M'i or- I,.ten note. Grease and vtiiegert are '
,a'w'e alt the txs,•ire:0s :f it had .;rat member9 of the ata,,inwood City k
nem put into effect the wut, :.he stat: i ,< t &alai,I is a for thee re Dail i,
.sa tet}it.an to 90 perir our swoon " , r Mogren is (wiser of \totrren