Wednesday, April 1, 2009

City manager government for Ketchum?

Mayor ponders new system


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall floated the idea of looking into a city manager form of government in a prepared statement released on Tuesday.

"We are experiencing terrific leadership under (City Administrator) Gary Marks, who is extremely qualified," Hall wrote. "In fact, with Gary's skill set, now might be the appropriate time to research a city manager form of government."

Marks was hired to be Ketchum's city administrator in May. He had been serving as the city manager of Whitefish, Mont. He took over in August from longtime city administrator Jim Jaquet, who had been serving in an interim capacity.

In the traditional mayor-run form of government, administrators have their duties delegated to them by the mayor. With a city manager, the mayor would be part of the City Council, with mostly ceremonial duties, while the manager would take on the chief executive role formerly held by the mayor.

"I'm a public servant. If my community believe a city manager form is in their best interest, then I'm 100 percent in favor," Hall said in an interview Tuesday. "I still want to serve my community, I'll just do it in a different capacity."

Hall said the manager form of government could help day-to-day operations and create more operational continuity. It could also focus the attention of the public on policy rather than on personal politics, creating a more constructive dialogue for the council.

On the negative side, Hall said having a manager could cause residents to be one step removed from having a direct effect on appointment of the city leader.

Ketchum voters would need to approve the switch, after which the council would select a manager.

Hall said he will ask council members how they would like to proceed at a future meeting, but that he would like to see a citizen panel organized to perform research and make a recommendation.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com




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