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Commission recommends adding city administrator; council told to weigh ballot options
Summary
The commission urged enshrining a city administrator in the charter — appointed by the mayor with a five-member council supermajority — as a way to professionalize management while preserving elected authority.
One of the most consequential recommendations from the Charter Review Commission was to add a city administrator position to the Harrison charter. The proposed amendment would preserve the city's strong-mayor form of government while authorizing the mayor to appoint a professional administrator subject to council approval by a five-member supermajority.
"This change allows for the professional management of the city while preserving the traditional executive and legislative functions of our government," the commission's chair, Joe Combs, said. The commission described the role as a means to improve operational consistency and suggested the appointment be removable by the mayor.
Council members signaled support for further discussion but asked the commission to provide the redline and slides for additional review. The commission recommended council consider separating the administrator question from other amendments on the ballot if there are concerns that one controversial item could jeopardize passage of broadly supported fixes.
