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Senate amends municipal-government bill to require public vote before stripping mayoral executive powers
Summary
Second substitute Senate Bill 20, addressing forms of municipal government and the ability of city councils to alter mayoral duties, was amended so that if a council seeks to strip a mayor's executive authority it must go to a public vote; the amendment passed and the bill was circled for further consideration.
Second substitute Senate Bill 20 was described by sponsor Senator Walker as clarifying default duties of mayors and preventing city councils from changing a city's form of government without a public vote. The sponsor said the second substitute "grandfathers all the mayors and all of the city forms of government that are in statute."
Senator Stevenson offered an amendment to ensure that when a city council attempts to "strip the mayor of the executive powers" that action would have to be referred to the voters. Supporters said the amendment did not create a 'strong mayor' structure but preserved the public's expectation that an elected mayor is the chief executive unless voters decide otherwise. Opponents warned the list of concerned mayors was growing and urged clearer briefings to local officials; the League of Cities and Towns expressed conditional support in committee but some mayors later opposed parts of the substitute.
The Senate approved amendment 2 by roll call and the body circled the second substitute (Senate Bill 20) as amended for later floor consideration.
