Mayor to Give State of the City Address March 2
An invitation was personally sent to a select group of individuals, supplemented by a posting on the City website, to attend a presentation at City Hall by Piedmont’s Mayor Margaret Fujioka on the “State of Piedmont”. While there is no record of the Council deciding to convene specifically for a “State of the City” presentation, nor establishing the annual address, the Mayor has noted it as the “First Annual State of the City” address.
The presentation is set for a regular meeting on March 2, as determined by Fujioka. No Council action items are listed on the Council’s agenda. Within the same week, two special meetings have been held, on February 25 and February 28, resulting in an unusual three Council meetings in one week.
When San Francisco or Oakland Mayors give “State of the City” addresses, they inform their citizenry how well the City departments have implemented the Mayor’s priorities and goals, and provide direction to staff for the coming year. This has not been the prerogative of Piedmont mayors under the City’s charter.
Piedmont’s mayor is primarily a ceremonial head, representing the City in various specific capacities. The Mayor acts as the chair of the Council and only has the powers enumerated in the City Charter or bestowed upon the Mayor by three affirmative Council members in a public meeting. The Mayor serves at the pleasure of the City Council and can be removed at any time by 3 affirmative votes.
Piedmont has for over a 100 years required selection of the Mayor by the City Council rather than Piedmont voters. The process is specified in the voter enacted City Charter. It has depoliticized the mayor position, allowing many Council members to serve as mayor. Power has remained decentralized and resided per Charter in the Council as a whole.
Read the voter enacted Piedmont City Charter.
http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/city_charter/charter.pdf
SECTION 2.08 MAYOR
Following each general municipal election, the City Council shall elect from among its members officers of the City who shall have the titles of mayor and vice-mayor, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council, shall be recognized as head of the City government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor for the purposes of military law, but shall have no administrative duties. The vice-mayor shall act as mayor during the absence or disability of the mayor. In case of the temporary absence or disability of both the mayor and vice-mayor, the Council shall select one of its members to serve as mayor pro tempore.
- VOTING. Voting, except on procedural motions, shall be by roll call and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the minutes. Three (3) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner prescribed by the rules of the Council. No action of the Council, except as otherwise provided for in this Charter, shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of three (3) or more members of the Council.
Even though the meeting is open to the public, the invitation to the March 2 presentation requested those receiving invitations to RSVP.
“RSVP by February 25th to largue@ci.piedmont.ca.us or by calling (510) 420-3040.”
The Brown Act provides that all members of the public can attend public meetings without RSVP’s.
The meeting will be held at City Hall March 2 starting at 7 p.m. and can be viewed from home on KCOM Channel 27 or via the City website.
