MADISON — Madison residents are continuing to debate a proposed change of governance in Alabama’s ninth-largest city.
During public comments at Monday night’s City Council meeting, residents spoke out about changing from a council-mayor format to a council-city manager form of government.
256 Today spoke to two residents, one for and one against, the city manager form of government.
Jim Ross is the co-chair of Madison Forward, the group responsible for gathering the required signatures calling for the May 9 special election. Ross said he will be voting yes.
“I will be voting yes because I look at the increased growth of the city of Madison and the challenges that come with that growth,” said Ross. “I think it’s going to be very important to have a certified professional city manager that would manage the day-to-day of the city and allow the mayor and the city council to really focus on the vision strategy and goals of the city and then pass that to the city manager to execute them and hold that individual accountable.”
Margi Daly, a Madison resident and member of the group Madison City Watchdogs, believes having a city manager will “take our vote away”.
“Well, it’s very disappointing that a certain elite crew would like to take our vote away because we will no longer be voting on the person who runs the city or a CEO or a COO, what they said in the transition team,” she said.
Daly also said having a city manager would limit the mayor’s position.
“The city manager does all administrative work, the mayor under a city manager is only several and politics,” she said. “That’s it.”
Ross disagrees and said there is a lot of misinformation out there.
“We’ve heard repeatedly that they’re concerned that there’s no longer a separation of power and there’s a loss of power to the mayor but I actually believe it’s the opposite,” he said.” I believe in the council manager form of government, if this happens, the mayor actually becomes a voting member of the city council and becomes a president of the city council.
“And the mayor can actually influence the agenda and actually has a vote for a change. So I don’t see where that is taking away power from the mayor.”
Madison voters will head to the polls May 9 to cast their vote on the issue. The Madison city website has information available to voters on the proposed change including sample ballot language and what it would mean for residents. If approved, the new form of government would be in place by 2025.
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