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s BOUCHER: Of course. RAY: This all got started with the proposal to place the Wastewater Department in the Department of Water Supply and so that's what started generating this mix and match scenario, and this is what we came up with. BOUCHER: Well generally I find out, if you look deep enough, I end up being the cause of most of the problems. SANTANGELO: Might be the area you work in. BOUCHER: Anyways, I come here both as a private citizen and as a representative of the County Department of Public Works. And maybe, quickly, just so you get a feel for, maybe, what the general public at -large might - you'll see what one vote would have to think about some of your proposals, I'll just run through quickly some of my thoughts about some of your proposed amendments. Number 1 and 2, non-partisan elections and the at -large seats, I completely agree with. I think they're very good ideas for helping our government become more representative and efficient. Contrary to that, I think item number 3, strengthening the authority of the County Managing Director, I think would be counterproductive. I think it's important to have a strong Mayor to set the tone for where the County is headed, and what we want to do. RAY: Peter, have you looked at the detailed language in regard to this? Because this does, in no way, change the authority of the Mayor, a move from a strong Mayor position. The Managing Director still appoints this person. We are suggesting that they have to be confirmed by Council, but it's really encouraging the County to use the Managing Director more as the Chief Operating Officer of the County, and to fulfill that role more. It's in response to an awful lot of public input we've had in regard to more professional management of the County. So, it's still very much a strong Mayor form of government. The buck stops here, and ultimately, it's up to the Mayor how he uses that position. All this does is it, sort of, rearranges the Executive Department in the Charter to encourage the Mayor to use that position more in that capacity, but it in no way undercuts the ultimate authority of the Mayor to make decisions. So what we're suggesting is still very much a strong Mayor form of government. SANTANGELO: But the question was had you read the deeper part of it? BOUCHER: To be honest, I have not studied all these proposals in detail, and again, this is as a private citizen, and I don't know when the average citizen goes in the voting booth, if they will have studied these issues in detail also. This is, sort of, 20