The Hermiston City Council is modernizing the city charter and a couple of the potential changes will have a significant impact on the offices of mayor and municipal court judge.
Among the proposed changes to the charter is a recommendation that the mayor’s term in office be lengthened from two years to four, and make the municipal court judge an appointed seat rather than an elected one.
During its monthly work session on Monday night, the council continued the process it began last month of updating the charter. The subject of the mayor’s term of office sparked some debate among the council.
“It’s never made any sense to me to have the mayor be a two-year term and the councilors’ term be four years,” said Hermiston City Manager Ed Brookshier. Mayor Dave Drotzmann, who ran unopposed for re-election this spring, agreed with Brookshier.
“Running for office is a lot of work,” he said. “It’s extremely cumbersome to have to turn around and run again after two years.”
Support for extending the mayor’s term to four years came from most of the council, with the exception of Councilor Doug Primmer.
“I would like to hear the public’s input on this,” he said.
Councilor Jackie Myers said the public will have final say on any changes to the charter when the new charter goes before the voters next year.
“It will all be subject to voter approval,” she said. Councilor Frank Harkenrider, who served as mayor for five terms in the 1990s, gave his support to extending the term.
“The first two years on the job, you’re just getting acquainted with things,” he said.
Attorney Chad Jacobs, who is working with the city on the charter modernization process, said there was an alternative if the council felt lengthening the term might threaten to sink the entire charter upgrade.
“If it becomes too controversial of an issue, you can put it on the ballot as a separate vote,” he said.
The council was unanimous, however, in a proposal to make the position of Hermiston municipal court judge an appointed position. Brookshier said Hermiston is one of only three or four cities in the state that elect municipal court judges.
“I suggest the municipal court judge should be appointed by the council and mayor and should be a member of the Oregon bar,” he said.
Drotzmann said the city’s hands are tied when it comes to administrative oversight of municipal court judges. Myers added that the city hasn’t had any problems with its past municipal court judges, but that the city should have more oversight over the position.
“We’ve been lucky with our judges, but in the future, we might not be,” she said.
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