The Albuquerque City Council is confirming members to a City Charter task force tonight. The task force was approved on August 4th to ”…review the charter and make recommendations for proposed revisions.”



The City Council appointments are District 1: Laura Horton; District 2: Michael Passi; District 3: Susan E. Jones; District 4: Herb Hughes; District 5: Jolene Wolfley; District 6: Eli Il Yong Lee; District 7: Chuck Gara; District 8: David Campbell; and District 9: David Standridge



The Mayoral appointments are Marty Esquivel, Dan Silva, Steve Gallegos, James Lewis, and Vickie Perea.



According to the city website, this would be the third task force convened since the charter was adopted in 1974, to make recommendations for revision:

The City Charter which created Albuquerque’s Mayor-Council form of government was adopted by voters in 1974. City Charter Review task forces were also established in 1988 and 1998 to revisit the Charter and to make recommendations for improving and refining the Charter in light of changes brought about by population growth, annexation and the complexity of issues facing the City. Both task forces recommended changes to the Charter which were proposed as Charter Amendments and put before the voters in 1989 and 1999. City Council President Brad Winter, co-sponsor of the bill (with Debbie O’Malley) states, “Albuquerque has experienced dramatic growth and change during the past 10 years, and it is time that we evaluate how we operate.”



The specific mandate of the charter is to examine the Mayor-Council form of government; the provisions for separation of powers between the Mayor’s office and the City Council; and whether or not certain appointed positions should be independent of the Mayor and the Council. The task force is to make it’s recommendations by April 6, 2009.



Also on the Council agenda is a proposal over binding arbitration as an avenue for resolving non-economic issues between union employees and the city. Dan McKay explains what’s at stake in todays Abq Journal:

Councilors Debbie O’Malley and Rey Garduño are proposing that either the city or its unions be allowed to force binding arbitration for “non-economic issues,” such as how employee grievances are handled.

 

It would be a “big change,” O’Malley said. “It will encourage people to come up with a resolution. Neither side wants to go to binding arbitration.”

Ed Adams, the top executive under Mayor Martin Chávez, says the proposal would have the opposite effect. Unions wouldn’t have much incentive to negotiate if they believed an arbitrator would give them the upper hand, he said.



Could be a testy debate. The confirmation of Ed Adams as Chief Administrative Officer also comes before the Council tonight. Adams is currently Chief Operating Officer and is well-regarded for his ability to get projects done. But his confirmation won’t be smooth sailing necessarily due to ongoing tensions between the Council and the Mayor, stemming in part, council members say, from the slow pace the administration takes in getting council-mandated projects done—if they get done at all.