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Box 1072 E-Mail: league@sunflower.com Board of Directors
League of Women Voters of League of Women Voters of
Copyright © 2004 by The
League of Women Voters of |
STATEMENT OF POSITION ON
CITY GOVERNMENT Approved 1991 The League of
Women
Voters of Lawrence–Douglas County believes that the structure and
operation of Lawrence city government must be representative,
accountable, accessible, provide good municipal services, provide
adequate balanced information, and cooperate
with other governments. The governing body should consider the welfare of the community as a whole in its decision making, without discounting the needs of the geographical regions within the city. Particular care must be taken with the needs of north and east Lawrence. The
commission, as a representative governing body, should
include individuals from the diverse socioeconomic and
ethnic strata of the community. To better accomplish this:
(1) As the city grows, the number of members of the governing
body should be increased from 5 to 7; (2) Lawrence
should consider a plan in which members of the governing
body are elected from districts. In the primary election,
two candidates would be nominated from each district
by voters in that district. In the general election, one
representative from each district would then be elected
by all the voters, not just voters from that district.
The
city governing body and appointed staff should have clear
lines of responsibility. Accountability includes objective
criteria for measuring performance such as: organizational
audits; performance evaluations; clear job descriptions;
objective standards, set in advance, for evaluation
of the city manager; and performance-based budgeting.
Decisions should be based on organizational goals
and objectives. A
responsive and accessible government maintains open communications
with its citizens. Citizens must know to whom
they can go for information and should be encouraged
to participate in the governmental process. Municipal
services should be equitable, efficient, and economical.
Information for decision making by the governing body should be adequate, timely, and balanced. There should be a training program for new members of the city's governing body, particularly on technical matters. The city might consider an outside consultant or an organization such as the League of Kansas Municipalities for this training. To facilitate the learning process, the city might wish to consider an interval between the election and seating of newly elected members of the governing body. City
staff should facilitate decision making by providing concise
and balanced information to all members of the governing
body. The city may wish to consider a department
similar to the state's Legislative Research Department.
Lawrence should incorporate procedures that would ensure effective communication and cooperation with the school district and with county government, particularly in planning city services. Form of Government The League believes that the city governing body, which is responsible for policy making, should be assisted by a professional manager who is responsible for the daily administrative affairs of the city. League
supports an enlarged commission, particular as the
city continues to grow. If district elections are instituted,
League supports a plan where members of the governing
body are nominated from districts, but elected by
all voters of the city. In addition to increasing representation,
an enlarged commission could consider instituting
a committee system for the governing body. |
