Apr 7 2019
Charter Revisions Make City Administrator Selection Vital to Piedmont.
Will there be an opportunity for public input on the qualifications sought in a new City Administrator?
The Piedmont City Council is moving ahead to find a replacement for City Administrator Paul Benoit, who is retiring in June 2019.
Minutes from February 25, 2019 Special Council action meeting can be read by clicking > 2019-02-25_special
Public input methods and characteristics sought in a new City Administrator by the City Council have not been publicized. In the past, the community has been given opportunities to provide comments and ideas on desired characteristics of top Piedmont officials.
The recently voter approved Charter revisions place the decision of retention of key employees with the City Administrator rather than with the City Council.
In November 2018, the City Council and City Administrator Paul Benoit proposed and Piedmont voters approved City Charter changes transferring long-held Council responsibilities to the Piedmont City Administrator. If the City Council and City Administrator disagree on the retention of key-officers – Police Chief, Fire Chief, Planning Director, Finance Director, Public Works Director, etc., only the City Administrator has the right and authority to determine these key employees continued employment with the City.
The next City Administrator may require a different set of skills than previous candidates.
The Council selects the key-officers of the City, but the Council cannot terminate or retain their choices if the City Administrator does not agree. Given a disagreement between the City Administrator and the City Council, the Council by law can terminate the City Administrator and then select another person to fill the City Administrator position who will then make decisions. The City Administrator, by law, is singularly entitled to make firing and retention decisions regarding top officers and will bear the sole responsibility for those decisions.
This major change in Piedmont governance makes selection of an appropriate City Administrator all the more important to Piedmonters.
Some comments made in the community have suggested the following characteristics be sought in a new City Administrator:
- Understanding of California law and application to Piedmont
- Belief in open and transparent government
- Familiar with Piedmont City Charter
- Proven ability to propose and work within budgetary constraints
- Ability to encourage varying points of view
- Speaking and writing skills commensurate with responsibilities
- Foster community participation in Piedmont decisions
- Support broadcasts of Piedmont public meetings
- Experience with personnel decisions including terminations
- A previous track record of administering a comparable public entity in California
- Plans for service in Piedmont extending beyond 5 years
- Understand the difference between Council and Administrative decisions
- Willingness to work with the Piedmont School District
- Ability to develop and encourage appropriate employee activities
Nov 21 2018
The race narrowed to under 50 votes between School Board candidates Amal Smith and Julie Caskey.
As of this publication, none of the previously announced results changed; only the number of votes changed.
Apparently, the many ballots sent by mail or placed in the community ballot boxes were not counted on election night, hence the reporting delays in Alameda County.
On November 17, 2018, the Alameda County Registrar of Voter posted the following results. Candidates elected and measures approved are noted with an *.
Members of the Piedmont Unified School Board:
*Megan Pillsbury 3389 31.71 %
*Amal Smith 2833 26.51%
Julie Caskey 2785 26.06%
Hari Titan 1669 15.62 %
Write-in 12 0.11%
Members, City Council – Piedmont
* Betsy Smegal Andersen 4796 34.38%
* Teddy Gray King 4377 31.38%
* Tim Rood 4255 30.50%
Sunny Bostrom-fleming 451 3.23%
Write-in 70 0.50%
Measure BB: Reduced requirements for contract bidding and Council meetings, increased years to prevent former council members seeking re-election from 4 to 8 years.
* Yes 3923 65.07%
No 2106 34.93%
Measure CC: Requires top officers of the City to serve at the pleasure of the City Administrator rather than the City Council.
* Yes 3887 66.54%
No 1955 33.46%
For any further, yet unlikely, updated results, click below:
Nov 4 2018
The following Letter to the Editor of The Piedmont Post was sent to the Post, but was not published in the Post. It is published here for PCA readers.
VOTE NO on CC – Unacceptable City Charter changes.
CC – the “hire, but can’t fire” proposal – would unacceptably change Piedmont’s successful government by prohibiting the City Council from acting to retain or terminate their chosen Department Heads – Fire Chief, Police Chief, Finance Director, Recreation Director, etc.
Piedmonters should not enact this law. It promises problems found in other cities where councils have lost their authority and ability to act. A new government layer will separate Piedmonters from Council authority.
Only one person, the unelected City Administrator, would be allowed by Charter to evaluate, direct, retain and terminate Council-hired key employees -Police, Fire, Finance, Recreation, etc.
Piedmont’s current Charter works and is coveted by others.
With 22 years in elected office – Mayor, Council Member, Planning Commissioner, AC Transit President and Director, I have reviewed the Charter proposals and found proposals not in the best interest of keeping Piedmont a great place to live.
The Charter merits updating, but NOT as proposed by Measure CC.
Keep Piedmont’s Council strong. Await appropriate Charter change proposals.
VOTE NO on CC at the end of your ballot.
Alice Creason,
Former: Piedmont Mayor, Council Member, Planning Commissioner, AC Transit President, Director, Piedmont Beautification Foundation Trustee