AAA – City Auditor
We are not sure this proposal is needed since the city’s independently elected auditor has the ability to audit any and all city agencies, operations, etc. We are told it “cleans up 100-year-old language.” Well, if it’s worked for that long, why change it? Our auditor, Laura Doud, and her staff have done a great job. What Doud really needs are a few more people to conduct more audits of city agencies. There are still improvements to be made. We are neutral on AAA.
CCC – Ethics Commission
We are supportive of any effort to improve transparency and the accountability of city and elected officials. However, we do have some reservations regarding the makeup of the seven-member commission. First, we would have preferred a nine-member commission (one from each city council district) to ensure the entire city is represented. Second, if the commission is to be truly transparent, then elected officials should not be involved with the appointments. A random system similar to what is being proposed with Measure DDD would have been preferred. Despite our reservations, we approve the establishment of an Ethics Commission. Yes on CCC.
DDD – Redistricting Commission
Establishing a Redistricting Commission is better than having elected officials draw the council district boundaries. Past city councils have played politics with district boundaries. We know that firsthand from former councilmembers lobbying the Business Journal to support their interests – which were usually tied to campaign contributions. Voters need look no further than the disjointed boundaries drawn for the 4th, 6th and 7th Council Districts. Yes on DDD.