The way I see it, No it doesn't matter. I think that people looking down political lines to place their vote are no better then sheep going where ever the shepard leads.

What matters most is that the JOB gets done. Republican or Dem matters not...

I want the City to benifit from the person that is going to do the "RIGHT" thing for the people...not the political party!

Posted By gilbertglcn on 02/27/2008 2:13 PM
I have several questions related to how you as Mayor will handle public meetings. Here are my inquiries;

After responding to a question from a Council Member, Finance Director Kolman specifically stated that the Fire Department would NOT be impacted by the budget constraints. Why then was the Fire Chief "laid off", as the City cannot state it was due to the budget situation. All other Arizona communities hold public meetings during a council session to go over the specifics of any staffing changes. How will you guarantee this occurs during your tenure as Mayor?

If you do not feel it is in the public's best interest to have this information in the public forum, why is that, since again, all other communities operate above board? If you disagree with how the City handled this situation, what steps will you take as Mayor to correct this situation?

If it is determined that city staff members were not truthful during public meetings, what policies will you ensure are in place to protect the welfare of the community?

Do you support the elimination of the Fire Chief and Planning Director's positions? If so, why were these positions elminiated prior to other positions, as most communities eliminate staff positions first, as you still need someone to run the departments that are both still intact. Do you support how these decisions were made, taking into account that all other Arizona communities hold public hearings prior to budget restructuring measures - behind closed doors? If not, how will you as Mayor deal with this type of situation when it occurs under your tenure?

My Response:

In June 2006, an ordinance was passed amending section 3-1-1 of the City code regarding the responsibility and actions that can taken on certain personnel issues. Currently, City Council only makes personnel decisions regarding the City Manager, the City Attorney and City Magistrate. The City Manager has the responsibility for making all other staffing decisions. The City Manager is involved in the day-to-day operations of the City and is best at making decisions regarding their effectiveness. He is not required to hold public hearings on staffing changes.

I’m not going to speculate on what Mr. Kolman knew or didn’t know prior to the City Manager’s recent actions. I don’t have access to that information. Mr. Evans was hired to run city government to the best of his abilities. If he determines the organization needs to be trimmed or re-structured, I support his decisions and actions. To do any less will significantly reduce his effectiveness.  

Thank you Mr. Smith for starting this thread and continuing to monitor and answer questions. I have read the entire list of postings and felt I have learned a great deal about you, the town of Maricopa, and even some of our other residents!

I have some other questions, not seen posted here yet. Simple stuff, but important to me.

Regarding 347 . . . I understand the cause of the traffic problems and that there is no short term fix, but it seems that lately the timing of the Riggs light has had a major impact on those of us commuting into Phoenix for work. It has been adjusted so that the crossing Riggs traffic has no wait, while the thousands of us heading north in the morning are slogged in a 3+ mile back-up. Also, the trash situation along that route is awful and an embarrassment to both our community and the state of Arizona. I've noticed some effort going on to pick up trash, but huge amounts of trash are clearly being dumped intentionally and very large items such as mattresses, shipping pallets, and even appliances will remain for months, sometimes more than 6 months before they are cleaned up. I cringe with embarrassment every time I think of a friend or relative driving down that road knowing they will see the evidence of the complete disrespect some have for our community and the unwillingness of our community to do anything about it. For both these issues, inquiries to ADOT if responded to, take the form of a too bad, so sad, we don't care. Is there anything you can do as Mayor, or is there anything the city can do to add pressure, gain visibility, get something moving on this? Seems like hefty fines for dumping trash should also apply.