Voice of the People: Your Local Government

Common sense tells us that it is necessary to know the nature of an organization before trust can be placed in it. If you want to get a feel for how local government is supposed to function, the Grand Terrace Municipal Code and the California Government Code are good places to start. In a General Law City like Grand Terrace, nothing really expensive gets done without a quorum vote by the City Council. California Government Code Title 4 vests local government in a City Council, in addition to its City Clerk, City Treasurer, and subordinate officers or employees. The members of the Council are free to say or do almost anything that pleases them for their $300.00 a month short of conferring with each other in advance of a public hearing on matters pertaining to civil welfare. Of course, Council Members and Staff are subject to the identical legal and ethical standards and repercussions as any private citizen. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as a “take-charge, buck-stops-here” Hollywood dictator of a Mayor in a General Law City. Elected or not, Government Code Section 34903 makes the mayor just another council member with a few more administrative duties. Somebody has to run the meetings. The City Manager is the person who really wields the day-to-day scepter of power in the City. Municipal Code Section 2.08 grants the Council the authority to appoint a qualified professional. From there no single member of the Council can tell the City Manager what to do. The City Manager hires and fires, enforces law, controls employees, manages spending, oversees assets, and even re-organizes government for peak effectiveness, efficiency and economy. Don’t take my word for it. Knowledge takes the mystery out of what appears to most people to be a predatory system. Faith doesn't have to imply blind obedience or hopeless participation. Right should always be capable of standing the test of asking “why”? It is your right to trust how your government functions before you cast your vote this November.