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Government |
Councilmember Role
City Council members normally attend
three to four meetings a month. Regular council meetings are held at 7:30
p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month in the Shawnee council
chambers. In addition, the City Council has two standing committees,
Finance and Administration, and Public Works and Safety. The Finance and
Administration Committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00
p.m. The Public Works and Safety Committee meets on the third Tuesday of
the month at 7:00 p.m. Each committee has a member from each of the four
wards.
An important councilmember
role is that of a community leader who initiates and directs civic policy
promoting the welfare and development of Shawnee. The municipal code
charges councilmembers with the role of policy
makers. Collectively, the council determines current and future city goals
and policy and decides the direction to achieve these goals.
Some councilmembers view their role as that
of ombudsmen and therefore focus primarily on constituent services. In
this capacity, a councilmember acts as a connection between his/her
constituency and the city administration. This ombudsman role is an
important component of the ward system.
The League of Kansas
Municipalities offers some suggestions for effective and enjoyable public
service. It is recommended that these guidelines be reviewed periodically
to help avoid problems. An elected local official will probably be asked
to resolve problems created by others. Conscientiously following these
guidelines may help prevent difficult situations. The League guidelines
(as amended to fit Shawnee) are as follows:
-
Learn all about Shawnee, its operation, and its financing. Do homework.
Know city ordinances and about the Shawnee Municipal Code.
- Take the budget
preparation job seriously. The budget is the biggest policy development
tool available to govern a city. The budget determines what the city does
and does not do for the coming year, and will influence decisions and
actions for future years.
- Don't act as a
committee of one. Governing a city requires a team effort, both
practically and legally.
- Establish policy
statements. Written policy statements let the public, the city staff, and
the governing body itself know where they stand. Not only do policy
statements help the governing body govern, writing them also provides a
process to develop group consensus. "That's the way it’s always been
done" is not good enough to either stay out of trouble or to get things
done.
- Make decisions
based on public policy, and be consistent. Treat similar situations
similarly.
- Don't be
stampeded into action. Don't be misled by the strong demands of special
interest groups. Many groups will, in their own self-interest, pressure
the council for action to be taken to their benefit. However, be
cautious, and examine issues carefully. The job of the councilmember is
to find the long-term public interest of the community as a whole, and not
all groups represent the community as a whole.
- Don't bypass the system! Governing body members should stick
to policy making and avoid personal involvement in the day-to-day
operations of the city. Allow the City Manager to act as the
administrative official for the city.
- Individuals can
not make policy alone. Councilmembers should not make promises they
can't deliver! Most decisions and actions require majority
approval of the governing body.
- Be concerned with the long-term future. Avoid taking
short-term gains at the expense of long-term losses.
- Have goals and
objectives. Think about both the short term and the long term future.
- Remember that you
represent all of the people of the community, not just neighbors and
friends.
- Don't let others
bypass your system. Insist that people such as bond salesmen or equipment
suppliers first work with city staff. If direct contact with governing
body members is advisable, this should be with the governing body as a
whole and not on a one-on-one basis.
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