PALMER -- Mayor John Combs said he proposes the city overhaul its form of government because city staffers are overworked, and simply returning calls and keeping up with city issues demands more than the 15 to 20 hours a week he can devote to the part-time office.
"The days of cutting a ribbon and having four building permits to sign off on are long gone," Combs said after a council meeting Tuesday. "It makes me very uncomfortable and frustrated if I've got a job and I don't have time to do it."
Combs on Tuesday asked the council to consider a shift to a strong-mayor form of government. Under a strong-mayor system, a full-time, salaried mayor would oversee day-to-day city operations. Voters would have to approve the change.
Currently the city manager, who serves at the pleasure of the council, oversees city business. If the city adopts a strong-mayor system, city officials have said it's likely the manager's job, now held by Healy, would become a city administrator.
A strong mayor, Healy said, would have much the same authority he has now, such as the ability to make purchases of up to $15,000 without council approval and the power to hire or fire employees. But a city administrator would likely still be called on for many day-to-day duties, he said.
A full-time mayor, Combs and Healy said, would serve as a liaison to other governmental bodies or agencies. He or she would represent the city in Washington, D.C., and Juneau or in meetings with state or federal officials. The one significant difference between Healy's job today and the strong-mayor job Combs proposed is that the mayor could veto council actions.
Under Palmer's city charter, Combs presides over meetings and can vote as the seventh council member but lacks veto power. Combs said he has reservations about assuming veto power. He would rather continue as a council member, he said. But having a full-time mayor may speed along city progress as it grows.
"More and more, my job would fall into community relations," Combs said.
Combs said he spoke with Healy about his proposal early on. Changing the governmental setup is no reflection on Healy's performance, he said, and he hopes Healy would continue as city administrator.
"I have no intention of letting go of his expertise," Combs said.
In a letter to the council Tuesday, Healy asked it to consider changing his contract to accommodate a change to a strong-mayor system if that is approved.
He said in an interview Thursday that he enjoys working for the city and would continue as administrator or as manager. But if the city's form of government changes, he said, he wants his contract extended only one year. It's an effort to leave everyone's options open, he said.
"If the proposition is approved and the mayor becomes the chief administrative officer, it gives the city and the mayor some flexibility in terms of administrative structure after a year," Healy said. "It doesn't tie the city's hands for more than a year."
Healy's contract as city manager, at $83,000, expires Sept. 27. If voters approve of a strong-mayor system, Healy would want a title change, a $4,000-a-year raise and six months' salary in a lump sum if terminated, rather than three months' salary his current contract provides for.
If voters or the City Council reject the strong-mayor idea, Healy wants the one-year extension bumped up to two years with the salary raise left intact.
Some in Palmer support a change in city government.
"I'm definitely for a strong mayor position," said George Williams, a 48-year resident of Palmer who testified before the council Tuesday. "I've got nothing against Mr. Healy's performance, I just feel the mayor should be answering to the people of this town."
Williams, by telephone Wednesday, said a city manager is, by nature, insulated by the council. As long as four council members support his or her performance, the manager stays.
If an elected mayor filled the position, he said, the community could vote the person out or "hire" them for another three years at election time.
Not everyone at the meeting was as supportive. Delena Johnson lives outside the city but owns property in the city limits and regularly attends council meetings.
"My immediate reaction was, what's wrong with it now? I've been so impressed with how everyone respects everyone," Johnson said Tuesday. "I think that this City Council represents a government that I really admire."
The City Council agreed Tuesday to a work session on the strong-mayor proposal at 6:30 p.m. July 25.
The council is expected to vote July 26 to decide whether to send the issue to voters. City clerk Janette Bower said a decision must be made by July 27 if it is to go on the city's October ballot.
Daily News reporter Rindi White can be reached at rwhite@adn.com or in Wasilla at 1-907-352-6709.
