St. Augustine residents started electing their Mayor in Spanish Colonial times, in 1812. Read historian Susan Parker's October 27, 2019 column here.
STEVEN COTRELL moved here in 2010. He is former Mayor of Nevada City, California (pop. 3000). He sometimes writes perceptive columns in the St. Augustine Record, but often, based on his experience, spouting errant nonsense, e.g., arguing and arguing and arguing for an unelected Mayor, chosen by City Commissioners, his pet project here among lesser mortals whom he looks down from his lofty perch. See my 2015 blog post here.
STEVEN COTTRELL is one of a few "Previously Important Persons" (PIPs) populating our community, offering uninformed opinions, without attending meetings or participating in local government.
Why does STEVEN COTREL have a regular St. Augustine Record column?
Why is he an advocate for taking away vested rights to vote for Mayor, often pooping out cant opinions in favor of the local Establishment?
Ask him. Try it.
STEVEN COTTRELL eschews the spoken word.
He won't talk to anyone.
He would not even talk to Mayor Nancy Shaver on the telephone, preferring to lob pejorative potshots in columns.
This patrician ex-politician reminds me of the old saw about Boston, where "the Lowells spoke only to the Cabots and the Cabots spoke only to God."
STEVEN COTTRELL seems to think the plural of "anecdote: is "data."
He's wrong.
If you loved St. Augustine, STEVEN, you wouldn't move here, cock a snoot, and emit arguments to take our voting rights away.
For a good time, read the latest examples of STEVEN COTRELL's effrontery, pompously perseverating, from the Wednesday, October 23, St. Augustine Record, inter alia imploring people to attend the 5 pm October 28, 2019 City Commission meeting to join his call for less democracy and more authoritarianism, ending the right of citizens to elect their own Mayor:
Opinion
Steve cottrell- Proposed city charter would affect mayorship
HIDE CAPTION
Steve Cottrell
By Steve Cottrell / The Record
Posted Oct 22, 2019 at 6:56 PM
Although no decision was made at last Monday night’s St. Augustine City Commission meeting, there appeared to be majority support for offering voters an opportunity to decide if the mayor should be elected directly by citizens (the current method) or if that decision should annually fall to commissioners. Either way, the position would remain ceremonial.
I believe the mayorship should be rotated annually, so seeing commission appointment vs. direct election advance to a possible ballot measure is encouraging. As drafted, however, the City Charter amendment would give three like-minded commissioners control over the yearly mayoral selection. And if those three folks were mean-spirited, they could rotate the gavel amongst themselves and block other commissioners from occupying the center chair. That’s a devilish detail that needs fixing in advance of a public vote, not after the vote.
My suggestion? Include a succession protocol ensuring the senior member who has not previously served as mayor (or is most removed from having previously served) be given the gavel for one year. And, if two or more new commissioners are chosen at the same election, succession would be determined by the votes each prevailing candidate received on election day.
The only exceptions would be that none could serve as mayor during their first year in office, and a commissioners could opt out of the succession protocol if they chose to do so. Under that system, every person elected to a four-year term could occupy the center chair for one year — and possibly additional years if reelected.
No matter their political philosophy or affiliation, every person elected to the City Commission deserves an opportunity to serve as mayor. For sure, being mayor of St. Augustine doesn’t take special legislative expertise because the office has no legislative power. Zip. Zero. The mayor has one vote and no veto authority, does not prepare the yearly budget, does not hire or fire employees and does not appoint citizens to city advisory boards or commissions. The mayor is merely expected to run orderly meetings, sign proclamations, kiss an occasional baby and represent the city at certain functions.
At the Oct. 14 City Commission meeting, an outspoken advocate for direct election of the mayor went to the microphone and blasted commissioners, claiming the proposed City Charter change is a reaction by commissioners who had difficulty dealing with former Mayor Nancy Shaver. “Now you’re going to take away our right to vote for mayor because you didn’t like Mayor Shaver? Are you serious?” he asked in a challenging tone, adding that if the City Commission doesn’t deep-six the proposed Charter amendment, “there will be consequences.”
But the person who referred to “our mayor” doesn’t even live in St. Augustine. He lives in an unincorporated area of the county, so his voting rights would neither be affected — nor would his free speech rights be impaired.
Finally, as part of amending and updating the City Charter, I believe it’s time to dump irrelevant City Commission seat numbers. Seat numbers make sense when commissioners represent geographical zones, but not when they’re elected at-large by all voters, as is done here. My suggestion? If there are three Commission slots to fill and seven candidates running, the top three vote-getters would be declared winners. Simple. Fair. No primary. No runoffs.
Mayor Tracy Upchurch said that having the City Charter measure placed on the March 17, 2020 Presidential Preference ballot is a bad idea because turnout might be light if there’s no Republican primary. I disagree. Other than some squiffy Irish celebrants dallying too long on St, Paddy’s Day and missing the 7 p.m. poll closure, I think the town’s 10,331 electors will want to have their say regarding the mayorship and will vote in usual numbers.
Commissioners are expected to again discuss City Charter amendments at their Oct. 28 meeting, so show up and let them know how you feel — especially if you’re a St. Augustine resident.
Steve can be contacted at cottrell.sf@gmail.com
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STEVE COTTRELL: Why elect a ceremonial mayor?
Posted Apr 11, 2019 at 2:01 AM
St. Augustine Record
During a recent St. Augustine City Commission brainstorming session to review and possibly update the city charter, some commissioners seemed ready and willing to offer citizens an opportunity to vote on the process by which commissioners are elected and the mayor is chosen. Good for them.
Four years ago, I suggested St. Augustine’s ceremonial mayorship be rotated yearly and all commissioners be elected at-large with four-year terms. Some supporters of then-Mayor Nancy Shaver said if I didn’t like the way things are done here I should move back to California, but factional feedback comes with the territory.
What follows is the essence of my 2015 editorial:
“I believe citizens of St. Augustine would be better served by depoliticizing the position of mayor and recognizing it for what it really is: A ceremonial position with no legislative power or authority.
“The mayor chairs commission meetings, signs proclamations and represents the city when called upon to do so. No commissioner is empowered or endowed with more legislative authority than any other commissioner — and that includes the mayor.
“So why do we directly elect a powerless mayor?
“The middle chair at the commission table should not be used as a political bully pulpit. Unfortunately, the ceremonial office has, in recent years, reflected a level of politicization that is doing us no good whatsoever. In my opinion, the best way to depoliticize the office is to return to a system (in effect until 2006) where all five commissioners have four-year terms and the mayor is appointed by the commission.
“The simplest and fairest solution is to amend the city charter, spelling out a protocol that results in the senior member who has not already served as mayor being given the gavel for one year. And if two or more new members are chosen at the same election, succession to the mayorship would be determined by the number of votes each received on election day.
“The only exception to this impartial seniority system would be that no person would serve as mayor during their first year on the commission. With such a system in place, it would ensure every person elected to a four-year commission term could occupy the center chair for one year. What could be fairer than that?
“It doesn’t take special legislative expertise to be mayor of St. Augustine, because the office has no legislative power — zero. The mayor has one vote at the table and no veto power, does not prepare the yearly budget, does not hire or fire employees and does not appoint citizens to city advisory boards or commissions.
“Instead, the mayor chairs commission meetings, issues proclamations, and smiles for the camera at ribbon cuttings, parades, gala balls and other fun, ceremonial stuff.
“If a majority of the current commission is so inclined, there is ample time to prepare a ballot question with an objective succession protocol spelled out, asking us if we would like the office of mayor to (again) be appointive rather than elective.”
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That was my opinion four years ago and it remains so. And if the city charter is updated, I would also urge elimination of seat designations for commissioners — Seat 1, Seat 2, etc. There are no geographical wards in St. Augustine, so the numbering system makes no sense.
Let’s keep it simple: Five seats, all at-large, with four-year terms and a defined protocol leading to the mayorship (with an opt-out provision for commissioners not wanting to serve as mayor).
If such a charter change was approved by voters later this year in a stand-alone special election consistent with Florida Statutes Title XII, Ch. 166.031: (1), there would be three four-year seats open in 2020 with the top three finishers declared winners. No primary election, no runoff. Just one election — preferably as part of November’s general election.
As I rhetorically asked in 2015, “What could be fairer than that?”
Steve can be contacted at cottrell.sf@gmailcom.
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