SANFORD — To those in favor, it’s a way to make City Hall more responsive and vigorous.
To those opposed, it’s a power play with much potential for abuse.
Sanford residents will decide March 4 whether the city should change to a “strong mayor” form of government, in which the mayor runs the city.
Currently, the mayor has a largely ceremonial post, with no more power than the four city commissioners, though generally regarded as the commission leader. A city manager appointed by the commission runs day-to-day operations of the city.
A strong mayor would assume that role, with the power to hire and fire city employees. He would not, however, have veto power over the votes of other commissioners. Sanford still would have a city administrator, but his role would be considerably diminished from that of the existing city manager.
Mayor Brady Lessard would be the immediate beneficiary of the change, because the change in government would take place in May and his term is not scheduled to end until April 2005. The mayor now earns $9,000 a year, with a monthly expense allowance of $540. Lessard, a self-employed home restorer, has proposed a salary of $75,000 to $85,000 for a strong mayor.
“This range provides a decent salary to potential candidates, but does not appear to the candidate, or more importantly Sanford residents, to be excessive,” Lessard wrote in a memo to commissioners.
It was Lessard who prodded city commissioners to place the issue on a referendum, and the mayor has actively lobbied for the change, appearing on a glossy brochure produced by a political action committee called Better Government for Sanford.
Under the current political system, he said, no one is directly accountable to voters. Elected officials can blame the city administrator for Sanford’s problems, and vice versa, he said. A strong mayor system, he said, “robs city politicians and it robs staff of ability to pass the buck.”
Lessard said that, while other cities in Seminole County work well with a city manager, Sanford needs a strong leader to forge a vision.
“Sanford is a truly unique city,” he said. “It has some of Central Florida’s poorest and some the wealthiest. It has some of the newest [residents] and some of the oldest.”
“Sanford is no longer a small city,” he said. “It’s a medium-size city with big-city challenges.”
The strong mayor proposal has drawn skepticism in the community, though. No fewer than three former mayors have come out against it. Two of them, Bettye Smith and Lee P. Moore, formed a political action committee against the measure, called Vote No Boss Mayor.
The beauty of the city manager form of government, Smith said, is that the city is equally represented by five politicians, while a professional with expertise in administration keeps things running smoothly.
“It’s a no-brainer,” she said. “It’s foolish to swap a professional manager for someone who may or may not be qualified.”
Smith said she distrusts any attempt to give the mayor more power. She recalls how, when she was in office, a businessman insisted on having lunch with her and then asked her what it would cost to do business in Sanford. The implication was clear that he was seeking improper influence, she said. A strong mayor would probably run into even more of that kind of thing, she said.
“It would concentrate far too much power in one person,” Smith said of the strong mayor system. “There is tremendous potential for abuse.”
The push for a strong mayor has the backing of some of Sanford’s more influential residents.
At last report, Better Government for Sanford, led by city planning board member Mike Skat, had raised $7,750.
Among the contributors are two companies run by downtown Sanford developer Rami Yosefian; Wayne Densch Inc., a Sanford beer distributor headed by Sanford Orlando International Airport Board member John Williams; Spolski Construction; and such venerable Sanford businesses as Diamond Glass and gas-power supplier Therm-O-Tane.
They are some of the same contributors who backed Lessard’s candidacy for mayor in 2001.
Sentiment in the community is, as to be expected, mixed. Of roughly 320 comments the city received through returned utility bills as of early February, 63 percent were in favor of the change. The comments were unsolicited. The bill contained sample language of the ballot, but residents were not instructed to mark or return them.
The fact that Lessard would automatically become a strong mayor appears to be a concern for some voters. After marking “no” on the measure, one bill payer added, “until there is an election for mayor.”
Another voter supported the measure but suggested a more modest salary, such as $50,000.
“It’s a public servant position,” the resident wrote.
Lessard persuaded commissioners Randy Jones and Vandy Williams to join him in voting to have the referendum. Commissioners Art Woodruff and Whitey Eckstein voted against it.
“I would be happy with Brady as [strong] mayor,” Eckstein said. “I just don’t know about other people that might come long.” Still, he thinks the measure will pass because he said Lessard has “energized” younger voters in the city.
Lessard acknowledges that some in the community speculate that former Sanford Mayor Larry Dale, now president of the Sanford airport, worked behind the scenes to push for a strong mayor and might covet the spot. Dale is a strong personality who sometimes drew criticism for getting directly involved in city personnel issues.
Lessard said that speculation is groundless.
“The irrational fear of the return of Larry Dale is grounded in nothing but irrational fear,” Lessard said.
“Larry and I have an imagined relationship,” Lessard said of the public perception, adding that he has discussed the issue more with Smith than he has Dale.
Dale could not be reached for comment last week.
City commissioners still must work out some specifics of the strong mayor proposal. Lessard said he would ask commissioners Monday to approve a salary for both the mayor and the city administrator, who he said should make between $70,000 and $80,000. The position of deputy city administrator would be removed, meaning an overall savings, Lessard said.
Sanford’s last city manager, Tony VanDerworp, resigned earlier this year to take a job in Michigan. Deputy city manager Roger Dixon is filling in, and commissioners are waiting until after the referendum to decide what to do about the position.
Sanford has no contested commission races this year, so this is the only matter voters will see on the ballot.
