Upon election next Tuesday, the winner of Durham's mayoral race will face a number of internal government issues, but candidates Bill Bell and Nick Tennyson are already addressing questions regarding the mayor's role in city government.
A scandal surrounding the handling of government loans has candidates considering what type of municipal government structure is most efficient.
Tennyson, who has been mayor of Durham since 1997, said that the City Council is more like a board of trustees, and that the mayor serves as board chair.
"We are a body that relies on professional staff and we certainly can either enhance or detract from efficiency in how we give policy direction," Tennyson said. "It's my view as a mayor to be effective at communicating priorities to the administration and to facilitate that discussion on the City Council so we can give instructions in an orderly way."
Bell, a former Durham county commissioner for 26 years, agreed that a mayor is responsible for initiating programs. "I know you don't do things overnight, but the point is that you have to start," he said. "The mayor needs to stand up [to make progress]."
Many voters have expressed concern about government accountability since an audit of the city's small-business loan program this summer revealed a majority of mismanaged loans.
Bell said the City Council, which originally approved the program, should have taken more responsibility in researching the proposal themselves before approving it.
"The City Council and mayor did not ask the appropriate questions before approving the program," Bell said, explaining that council members did not adequately research the program or its director's history and references.
"In some cases [council members] rely too heavily on staff and don't check records themselves," he continued. "If you look at my record as a county commissioner, I just don't accept records, especially in finances.... What you do by asking questions is you put people on notice."
However, Tennyson argued that the City Council acted within its appropriate jurisdiction.
"I don't think there's any way for a council to identify what's an erroneous report," he said. "We have to try to set policies that, when violated, we get a warning of. In this case, because we didn't get a warning early enough, things got worse than they should have. There's a delegation of authority, and the ultimate responsibility rests with us. Overall, the fact that the system didn't work in this case is a matter of concern, but it's also something that happens with any 2,000 member organization."
Bell also criticized the city's confidential handling of the situation, but Tennyson did not believe that the investigation had been hidden from the public.
Another factor potentially affecting the operation of the city government is the size of its City Council, which will be reduced from 13 members to seven after Tuesday's election.
Bell said the decreased size of the City Council makes Tuesday's election all the more critical. "There is a reduced opportunity to have broader-based representation in the community," he said.
However, Bell also noted that the advantage to having fewer council members is the potential to arrive at decisions more efficiently and quickly.
Tennyson said the efficiency of City Council operations will depend on the people involved--both the council members themselves as well as the city's staff. He also said that the altered size will not substantially change the mayor's influence within the City Council, and that every member will still be equal.
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