CC PACKET 03221994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

P011taft Focus on - i the Issues A legislative session update on matters of policy for AMM member city officials Metropolitan Governance Restraeturing (EEF2276-Orfield; 8F2016-Ryan) his bill,the result of the Legislative Advisory Council on Metropolitan Governance study of regional governance,would provide for an elected form of regional government,now known as the Metropolitan Council.It also would abolish the operating agencies and fold the departments,their staffs and budgets under direct control of the Metropolitan Council. The Flynn-Orfield metropolitan governance The AMM, through its Metropolitan reorganization bill has a few similarities with Governance Task Force, consciously decided the AMM-supported reorganization bill that the Metropolitan Council itself should introduced during the 1993 session. The two engage in visioning and planning. By retaining bills would provide that the executive director be the metropolitan agencies (with Council hired by and -answerable to the entire budgetary oversight and appointment power), Metropolitan Council. They also would provide the Council would not be involved in the day-to- . that the chair be appointed from among the day operations. This increased authority over Metropolitan Council members, and that the metropolitan agencies coupled with the members be elected to the Council recognizing that the Council already has tax and levy authority lead to the Task Force's However, many -conflicts exist between the recommendation that the Council be elected. Flynn-Orfield bill and the AMM-supported version introduced during the 1993 session. The AMM Board of Directors, after reviewing the enclosed chart,voted to oppose Notably, the Flynn-Orfield legislation would HF2276/SF2015 in its present form. The create a large metropolitan level of government AMM opposes the bill as drafted because it with about 4,000 employees, would not would effectively make the Council a full distinguish between metropolitan agency fledged . operating level of government budgets and would permit the funds to through the elimination of the operating intermingle. The estimated annual .operating agencies.Their elimination would change the budget under this proposal would be more than Council's role from a planning agency to an 5300 million. operating agency.Besides the questions about the number of employees and the eventual But the real problem philosophically and in commingling of budgets, the AMM differs policy is the lack .of separation between big- philosophically and practically on the election picture planning and daily operations. Also, the and election procedures. Also, underlying reasoning for direct election of HF2276/SF2015 makes no provision for council members dovetails between the AMM separating Met Council big-picture planning proposal and the Flynn-Orfield bill. and day-today operation.