Sandpoint ripe for council-manager form of government

Let’s face it; running a city, like Sandpoint, can’t be an easy task. Elected officials, many of whom came up through the ranks of council seats, have other responsibilities besides government. In many communities, council members and even the mayor have businesses or commute to jobs in adjacent communities. The one thing that these communities lack is continuity of policy application. Changes in council and the mayors position can also cause a lack of continuity for city employees with regard to accountability, payroll, discipline and promotion.

So an option comes along that may create some continuity and I am glad to see that Mayor Carrie Logan and Councilman Bob Camp realize that now may be the best time to make a change.

There may be concern that installing a hired person to run the day-to-day operations of the city might make it less responsive. The reality is the city manager adheres to the policies set forth by the council. The council is their “boss” and the council creates measures, policies and expectations to steer the manager to the goals set forth by the council. If they become unresponsive, they get fired and you find someone who is responsive.

It would also take a huge burden off of the council. Rather than trying to understand each city department to the last person they instill their trust in a professional who handles budget preparation, recruits and hires supervisors for each department and works with the city attorney to prepare the council for litigation responses.

And it doesn’t lessen the power of the mayor. In fact, it allows the mayor to concentrate on the direction of the city. They are given more time to be the face of the city and to solicit input from constituents. The mayor still leads goal setting and leads the council in policy decisions.

One final note is my reference to consistency. As council members come and go, mayors come and go; many cities lose their consistency. With time on the job comes wisdom and knowledge. Finding a seasoned city manager will allow a smooth operation of the day-to-day operations of government as council and mayors change.

I truly believe there are many city manager candidates out there who would consider Sandpoint a great opportunity. It’s a beautiful place to live, great schools and has so many great residents. I applaud Bob Camp for bring it up and for the mayor supporting the idea.