04/10/2002 01:35 PM Senate CRA

                                                                                                                                
                  HB 289-MUNICIPAL MANAGER PLAN                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
REPRESENTATIVE   GARY  STEVENS,   bill   sponsor,  described   the                                                              
legislation as a  clean up of state regulations. It  is to make it                                                              
clear to the voter to what position  they are electing someone and                                                              
to make  it clear to  the candidates  the position for  which they                                                              
are running.  It can  be confusing  when there  is an election  to                                                              
change the form of a municipal government  at the same time that a                                                              
mayor  is being  elected. Voters  are  not sure  whether they  are                                                              
electing  a strong mayor  or a  ceremonial mayor  and the  mayoral                                                              
candidates wouldn't  know to which type of position  they might be                                                              
elected.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
The bill adds  a year in between  the change of government  so, if                                                              
the people vote to change the form  of government, the mayor would                                                              
remain in that office under the old form for one year.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON asked  whether  municipalities could,  through                                                              
ordinance, decide on the effective date of the switch.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS thought the community could do that.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON said  it looked  as though  the bill  wouldn't                                                              
allow communities to do that.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEVENS  said  that  wasn't the  option  that  was                                                              
offered to the public in elections he was involved in.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  said he hadn't  seen it offered either  it was                                                              
just a question.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS asked for the genesis of the bill.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS said in Kodiak  they were in the process of                                                              
changing  their form  of  government from  a  ceremonial mayor  to                                                              
strong mayor  and voting for the  mayor at the same time.  It's an                                                              
unfair position for the candidate  because a strong mayor position                                                              
is a  full time job  while the ceremonial  mayor position  is not.                                                              
All mayoral candidates aren't necessarily  looking for a full time                                                              
job.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
There was no further testimony.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS  made a motion to  move SSHB 289 am  and attached                                                              
fiscal note from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, it was so ordered.