PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Reflections on the 1989 Charter Revision Commission's work
0:15:47
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111 sec
Professor Lane reflects on the outcomes of the 1989 Charter Revision Commission, particularly the strengthening of both the mayor and the City Council following the elimination of the Board of Estimate. He acknowledges that while their work wasn't perfect, it significantly altered the city's governance structure.
- Lane notes that the Commission strengthened the Council by making it the sole policy-making body in the city
- He admits that some changes didn't go far enough, while others may have gone too far
- Lane points out that some intended reforms, such as line-item budget transparency, were hindered by subsequent political deal-making between the mayor and the Council
Professor Eric Lane
0:15:47
I would say chairman, Tesla, that when the board of estimate was unlimited and we ended our work, we did not only strengthen the mayor.
0:15:57
I think we also strengthen the council by first believing it alone as the only policy making decision in the city and to other means.
0:16:07
And as some bore speaker.
0:16:11
Because speaker Quinn said we probably didn't go far enough in some ways or went too far another way to I would love to reclaim perfection, but I know that is beyond human capacity.
0:16:22
So I know we didn't do everything right.
0:16:24
Plus, We've had 35 years of opportunity to witness things, and therefore, I'm sure there are things that time has proven to be incorrect.
0:16:36
I would say this though with with speaker queen's list of ideas.
0:16:42
I mean, there are also counsel failures here that made some of our changes impossible such as, you know, the existing online items on the budget.
0:16:53
But then making deal, you know, as we're starting the process.
0:16:59
Next thing, you know, there's a deal between the the mayor and the council, and so therefore, the demands for line items get lost in the need to make a deal, which is understandable, but it's it's one of the things I think people ought to be working.
0:17:13
But I I'm not here to talk about the things that the council will look at or not look at or the commission.
0:17:19
I wanna just talk about commissions in general and why they why I think they work and why they don't work, which I think I probably had a considerable knowledge about it far more than I do with with what's wrong now in the city.
0:17:36
I wanna say, 1st of all, our commission.
