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Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
Posted by David Seago @ 06:17:37 pm
Former Tacoma mayor Brian Ebersole thinks the City Council should have openly debated the offer City Manager Eric Anderson put before Russell Investments executives Monday. Here's Ebersole's message, and the responses I received from Anderson and Mayor Bill Baarsma: (See our editorial Wednesday morning). Ebersole:
Seago
Baarsma:
Seago to Ebersole: Brian, Final comment by Ebersole:
Categories: Taking notice
• 3 comments
COMMENTS:
I could not agree more with Former Mayor Ebersole. (Words I never thought would leave my lips). What right does the City Manager have to direct the Council and what right does he or the Council have making these decisions without input from the public?
It has been common knowledge for some time now the The Russell Group has been looking to leave. All of a sudden it's a rush job that has to circumvent the rules? Who gave the Manager the right to hand out $65 Million to the Russells anyway? There are other programs in the City in desperate need of funding , yet we're going to hand over $65 Million in incentives to an already filthy rich conglomerate? This makes no sense at all.
Is this the sort of thing the council should have discussed and decided publicly before making the pitch? did the council in effect make a decision in private that legally should have been made in public session?
Ebersole is no doubt well intentioned, but he misses a number of future political processes that would be required to actually enact any package with Russell. All of the parties are well aware that City Manager Eric Anderson has no present authority to bind the city in any of the possible terms that the city could offer in the future. All he can discuss are possibilities. The Tacoma City Council would have to vote to enact any of the steps discussed and would have to take public input beforehand at least once on any terms. The City Council could then agree or decline to enact any of the steps Eric Anderson discussed today. Thus, the City Council nor the public process has not been bypassed in any manner. The process pretty much has to work out this way. Otherwise, the council would be trying to work out an incentive package slowly piece by piece that Russell may not actually want which is unmanageable. It is also unmanageable for a 9 member city council to try to negotiate anything directly. That is more of a role of an executive. All they can do is approve or disapprove of potential agreements and legislation before them. Comments are not allowed from anonymous visitors. Please login or register to comment. |
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