CHC 1979-03-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • We felt that what we were trying to do was to group them together as much as possible and to provide stronger , responsibility and effectiveness within the beads of the departments. You will notice that we have eliminated a number of commissions. We have blended the commissions together. We feel that the experience of the past decade under the charter might lend itself to consideration into this type of consoli- dation and effect streamlining of our administrative function. The managing director should also be approved by the County{Council. Ict, is nb:tr3so provided in the present charter and has Bill had said a few moments ago that we have suggested that you consider the approval of all of the other department heads by the County Council, the managing director _should also be approved by the County Council . As you know, our first Mayor left office before completion of one of his • terms and- the managing director succeeded him who was not approved by the County Council and we feel that the managing . director should be also included in this county approval. • We suggest that you considersthe 2 elimination • or deletion@of the' following commissions 'because of either consolidationbeing embraced within certain operating. depart- ments or simply being inactive. The salary -commission which is on page 3 of the- County Charter; the civil service- commission which is on page 16'; the police commission which is on page 16 ; the liquor commission which. is on page 17 ; the .water commission is page 18. Those retained would be the:, ,planning commission and we would suggest that a personnel commission embrace civil service, salary, pension and put them altogether. That iibg 'ld probably produce greater efficiency rather than separate commissions. One other suggestion for your consideration • . would be that of abolishing the planning board of appeals. In view of the past experiences that they have had , most of the instances, - by far, have been simply ' u:piholding the actions of the planning commission. This does not take away from anyone • -the right - to go to the County Council or toco;urts for final action. • I think that is all , Bill , on that one subject. • • MR. MOSS: Thank you. Now there is one really very important thing that I 'd like to discuss with you and that is the election of the County Council . I don ' t really know anybody who is thoroughly happy with the way the County Council is elected. • - - We have pla red with a lot of ideas. We are 1sure of one thing. That the at-large method of voting today is wrong. In -the last' election;.'_on an average, 78% of the winning candidates' margin came from the4. :tricts other than the one from which they were running. This we feel is completely wrong. That people should represent the districts that they are coming from. When 78% of their winning margin comes from outside tb'eir home district somebody else is electing the councilmembers_, not their own people. • - 7 -