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Hal Wheeler is a former Bangor city councilor.
The current discussion of whether to change Bangor’s system of electing city councilors by wards rather than at-large is worthwhile. In fact, I endorse it.
There should be the broadest possible representation of citizens in city government. A citizen with concerns or questions should be able to call a councilor from the same ward rather than face the whole body. This also establishes a higher level of accountability to the public.
Since I was elected to my first term as a councilor in 1983, I was in favor of such a change, but there was no support among my fellow councilors for it.
Anyone who fears this change should be reassured by the fact that, with only five wards in the city, four members would still be elected at large. That would virtually eliminate any concentration of influence in any part of the city.
During my second round on the council, beginning in 2007, I devoted much of my efforts to finding ways to improve city government and respond to citizen concerns.
In 2010, I asked the city attorney to draft a council order calling for the establishment of a Charter Review Commission. He cautioned me about the “dangers” of a commission, namely that it would require a citywide election, which would entitle any citizen to run for membership. “You won’t have any control over who serves on it,” he essentially said.
I accepted his suggestion in good faith and the order was changed to establish a Charter Review Committee, to be appointed by the council.
I now wonder if that was a mistake. The Review Committee did excellent work and I was satisfied with the changes it recommended, but Bangor’s public issues have changed noticeably in the last decade and I now think that anyone and everyone willing to put in the time and work should have an opportunity to serve.
Another change I authored during my last year on the council reduced the number of signatures needed on council nomination petitions from 150 to100. This brought the requirement in alignment with the school committee’s minimum signature level. I like to think that this change made it somewhat easier for candidates to get on the ballot, as attested by the very large field of candidates last year.
As for increasing councilors’ compensation, I also believe it’s in order. In my first term I received the amount established in 1951: $400 per year. In my second term I received $2,000. Because I was retired, I had the time to work 20 to 25 hours per week on city business. In my opinion, a proper increase under current economic conditions would be $3,600, plus $400 for the council chair. Serving on the City Council should never be about the money, but there is a point at which more is justified.
Other recommendations I offer are that the charter should abolish all reference to the term “mayor.” If Bangor citizens want a mayor, one should be elected to serve as the official head of the city for three years and be compensated accordingly. My one fear is that it could increase the politicization of the council and perhaps intimidate city staff. This could be minimized by limiting the elected mayor to one term.
I also believe that city councilors should be absolutely limited to three terms. Entrenchment is the enemy of objectivity and accountability. I have seen that result.
Whether or not the office of mayor is established, the chair of the council should not be regarded as such. I believe some individuals who have served as council chair in the past have pushed personal agendas or interests beyond their legitimate duties. A chair of the council is “first among equals” and has the privilege of appointing council committees. That’s enough and that’s the way it should be.