Finding a Green Way to Govern

Is it possible that the city’s new Executive Mayor – Legislative Council charter change is making it harder for our city government to function well?   That certainly appeared to be the case in October, when Mayor Jacob Frey, the council majority, city attorney and other department leaders grappled with Frey’s veto of a new pollution control annual registration fee. Following the veto letter from the mayor, the council voted to override the veto, and the mayor threatened to instruct staff not to do the work to implement it.   As we shift attention to the upcoming city elections, the timing seems right to look at how that new structure is working.   It is worth recalling that three years ago, the so-called strong mayor charter amendment was narrowly passed with just 1.41 percent more than the required 51 percent of the votes. It was defeated in 8 of the 13 wards, but passed because of the large number of voters in wards 13, 11 and 7 where it won handily, esp...

  Part 1 - Mr. Smith Goes to City Hall Last year, the city saw an exodus of staff in two of its newest divisions, the office of race, equity and inclusion and the office of performance and innovation, now called The Department of Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left in 2023 was Brian K. Smith. In 2016 Smith went from being an outsider fighting city hall to becoming the Director of the new city division aimed at innovation and equity, started by then-mayor Besty Hodges. That ended last year, following a controversial city coordinator appointment, a discrimination complaint, and a lawsuit he and others filed against the city. On July 7, 2023, just a few weeks after retiring from his position working in City Hall, I met with Smith and talked with him about his experience there.  He didn’t expect to get the job when he was hired by Hodges.   “She knew me just like most of the other council members,”...