The city's current special charter came about in a time when healing was perhaps the city's greatest need and professional management was an innovation, former City Administrator Larry Bashe told the Charter Study Commission Thursday.
Bashe said he was a trained city manager when he came from Madison, Wis. to Plainfield in 1971. He worked in the Model Cities program and was the planning director and deputy city administrator before being appointed city administrator in 1974 by Mayor Paul O'Keeffe. He served through 1982, briefly under Mayor Everett Lattimore, before leaving municipal government for work in finance.
Bashe described a city riven by racial differences, so much so that "the police department was like an occupying army." It was not until a black officer, Sgt. Ray Evans, was put in charge of a post in the West End that the city saw "a huge decrease in property crime, because we connected with the residents."
Although the charter change, with a city administrator in charge of day-to-day operations, was meant to professionalize city government, Bashe described working very hard with elected officials to achieve cooperation.
"Hit me, kick me, spit on me ... I just need four votes," he said, noting consensus sometimes meant "starting eight months ahead of time."
In those days, the City Council met every Monday, alternating work sessions with voting meetings twice a month. When there were five Mondays, city government held "issues" meetings on topics such as crime, he said.
"Plainfield is a community that you need to work to get people involved," he said. During his tenure, he said, "You could walk in a room and feel the tension."
But he counted the "turmoil and drama" a good thing if people hashed out their concerns and differences.
"Talk about it, work it out," he said.
On specific questions, Bashe found no problem with having just four wards.
"We only have six square miles," he said.
He recalled the budget process as starting "from the bottom up, with division and department heads stating their needs and a separate budget officer helping to put it together. There was also a Citizens Budget Advisory Committee that produced a report before the council began deliberations.
Asked whether the corporation counsel could serve both the executive and legislative branches, he said, "The corporation counsel is the city's lawyer."
If there was ever discomfort over representation, the corporation counsel could always appoint special counsel if needed.
He spoke in favor of partisan over non-partisan elections, saying the latter was often proposed by minority factions, but the partisan system creates "discipline and participation."
In considering charter change, he said, better relations between the mayor and council do not depend on the structure, "It happens because of what we demand of our elected officials and the quality of the people we elect."
Note: I came to Plainfield in 1983 and so just missed getting to know Larry Bashe, but people always spoke very highly of him and the O'Keeffe years. I was pleased to be able to hear his views last night.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Larry Bashe and Paul O'Keefe were a class act. If you wanted to see the Mayor, or Mr. Bashe, you walked into the Mayor's office and made an appointment with one of their secretaries. They would make themselves available to all comers regardless of how bizarre some of the topics were. They had one secretary each. The current mayor has two: the "regular" secretary, and her "personal" secretary. This confuses me since our current mayor's MO is not to see people who request an audience, or to return their calls. Paul O'Keefe's mayoral compensation was a fraction of the current Mayor's compensation.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor;'s office at that time was unlocked and anyone could enter. Today the doors are secured and there are panic buttons at the secretaries' desks. Irregularly there is a police officer seated in the hallway. Signs of the times. Paul would attend,without police escort, neighborhood meetings anywhere in town. He was aggressive in identifying himself and his policies with all the neighborhood communities. He worked hard and sensibly to create a unified Plainfield.
It is commendable that Mr. Bashe attended and contributed his wisdom to the Review Committee. They would be well advised to consider his recommendations and to continue to elicit his council. Bill Kruse.
Paul O'Keefe was a special man and mayor. He was not in it for the status or the trappings of office.
DeleteI was on the fire department when Larry was appointed city administrator. We had our disagreements (in contract negotiations, in the public safety officer issue he favored) but he was a professional and that was reflected in the operations at City Hall. Kennedy Shaw was the first administrator, but Larry was the best, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteso in a nutshell Bashe wants everyone to hold hands and keep going forward..
ReplyDeleteBetter relations ?? Being demanded of those elected?? I think he's forgotten how it works in Plainfield.. the elected officials demand and the taxpayers jump.
His ideas work with elected officials who serve the people. So not in Plainfield. Kudos for supporting the same.. He's a keeper.