In today's Jeffersontown City Council meeting, member Kay Ackerson recommended that the City Council membership be reduced from eight members to six.
Her motion was seconded by Daniel Ruckriegel, but none of the other six sitting members got on board. Logically, that makes sense. Members run for office every two years, and the top eight vote-getters get seats on the Council.
No one currently on the Council wants to lose their seat.
But Ackerson believes a sensible way for the city to save money, and enjoy better government, is to reduce the size of the Council. It used to have just six members, she said.
Jeffersontown moved from six to eight council members in 2000, when the city changed to 2nd Class city status.
The members get salaries of just over $10,000 per year, plus benefits. Ackerson says that the money savings would be welcome, but she thinks less government is better.
"It's not just the money, I think J-town would be better served with six. Most people think we have too much government," she said.
Bill Dieruf, like Ackerson an announced candidate for Mayor against incumbent Clay Foreman, said the reduction wouldn't save a lot of money and saw little reason to change it.
For years, people in J-town have discussed having Council districts, in which members represent areas of town, but Dieruf said the city's too small for that.
Of course, that's the way Metro Government works, and there's widespread opinion that the 26 Council districts is too many, especially considering the costs associated with each one -- In addition to a $40K-plus salary for members, each one has a full-time staff and the use of discretionary funds.
But don't expect any resolutions to reduced the size of Metro government to come any time soon, either.
Yes, there would be the potential of some efficiency due to the potential of reducing gridlock. I am a bit naive on the nature of Jeffersontown government structure so the question begs: Are city council members representative of wards or districts versus being at large. If they are at-large reps, then six or eight does not make a difference in terms of the interests of the people. However, if they are ward-based, then it does make a difference.
Regarding the Metro Council size, I would want to look again at the standards the late Dr. Dakin used to divide up the districts. To reduce or enlarge the Metro Council on anything but an empirical standard would be unneeded political drama, but then it might liven Louisville up.
Chase Masters #299172
wed nov 18 2009
at 7:07 pm
·
I'm thankful I don't work within the J-town city limits anymore. Taxing my income for working, not living there was ridiculous.
I totally agree with ZX. I recently needed the assistance of the JTown PD and received nothing, but the run around. What's the purpose of paying and extra tax to work there if we get nothing for it?
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Rick Redding