by J Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Taking a cue from the U.S. House of Representatives, the City Council may move forward with plans that would allow them to immediately enact resolutions without the mayor’s blessing.
The City Council passes anywhere from 30 to 60 resolutions a month. Typically expressing the Council’s opinion or position on a specific matter, they take effect with or without Mayor John Peyton’s signature after 10 days.
City Council member Suzanne Jenkins said that in some instances that might not be fast enough.
“It’s not that we want to create conflict between our two offices by passing something (Peyton’s office) doesn’t approve of,” said Jenkins. “It has more to do with being able to move quickly when we have to, even if they may not be on the same page as we are.”
Based on advice from the General Counsel’s Office, Jenkins said a new resolution policy may prove beneficial when the legislature is in session and a local voice needs to be heard quickly.
“There are times when (Peyton) is unavailable or out of town and we need to get something out right away,” she said. “That actually happens a lot and when there is a sense of urgency, we have a responsibility to take swift action.”
Jenkins chairs the Council’s Government Performance, Audit, Technology & Education committee. She said the majority of any resolution policy discussions will take place during their twice-monthly meetings.
“That’s what GPATE is about,” she said. “If there’s a better way to do this, we want to work toward figuring out what it is.”
Fueling early discussions is an early, though unofficial, endorsement from Peyton’s office.
Jenkins said Brad Thoburn, the mayor’s director of state and government affairs, was the one who suggested that a “simple resolution” policy become an option when necessary.
“Again, it’s not about being antagonistic. It’s about being more effective,” she said. “We’ll look at this from every angle so that we can be sure we identify any negative impact this might have.”