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Last modified: August 30, 2023
Highlights
Mayor Norton PB Op Ed; 2023 Fall Fit City Challenge; End Childhood Hunger Taskforce
Contents
City of Rochester Charter Explained
Abstracted from Mayor Kim Norton's PB Op Ed, Rochester’s Charter outlines both the specific duties of the mayor and council (August 2023)
Weak Mayor System
Many in our city mistakenly believe that the mayor has far more authority than our city’s Charter and historic practices designate – perhaps something that could change in the future given our growth and if the community desires.
In reality, Rochester’s Charter establishes what is referred to as a “weak mayor” system. This structure differs significantly from other cities where the mayor chairs the city council meetings and has a vote, or where the mayor serves as the city’s lead administrator.
Exceptions of Mayor Admin Authority
The Charter outlines exceptions in which the mayor is granted some administrative authority.
One such power afforded the mayor is to initiate an emergency order, which I exercised during the pandemic, to protect our city’s residents, medically vulnerable visitors and local businesses. The mayor also oversees the Police Department — but that’s for another column.
Rochester’s mayor is also given authority to veto any proposal passed by the council. As a mayor who ran on being more involved in policy making, I have exercised that power just six times when I believed that council and/or administration was not representing the best legal, ethical or financial decision based on resident values and/or the betterment of our community.
City Administrator's Role
Our administrator is to “serve in an advisory and consulting capacity as special assistant to the mayor and council” and “perform such special assignments of work as may be given by the mayor, council, or any standing committee of the council” and “formulate suggested policy and compile supporting data for city projects and matters broader in scope than those affecting individual departments, boards or commissions.”
The Charter states that the administrator should serve as a liaison between the mayor, council, department heads, commissions, boards, other governmental units and civic organizations/ groups. The administrator exercises “such specific authority as the mayor and council may grant, consistent with the charter and ordinances.”
Mayor and City Staff Working Together
When the mayor and city staff work together in the direction-setting process, before taking ideas to the city council for the final decision making, it helps ensure that proposals have the broad perspective of our community for council input and consideration.
The outcomes of our city government are likely to be better when the mayor, staff and council are working together as a team.
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2023 Fall Fit City Challenge
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Short Term Taskforce End Childhood Hunger
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Related Reports
Other City of Rochester, MN Pinned Reports
March 04, 2024 : City Council: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Updates; Housing; International Relations
January 25, 2024 : Announcing two new part-time roles to ensure accessible services to all communities.
December 04, 2023 : City of Rochester, MN
March 17, 2021 : City of Rochester, MN Study Session on DEI
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Pinned City of Rochester, MN organization and project reports
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Project Report of Rochester Vision 2050 : April 19, 2024 : Rochester Vision 2050
Project Report of Equity in the Built Environment (Bloomberg) : April 01, 2024 : EBE Presentation to City Council Study Session
Project Report of City of Rochester: 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan : March 21, 2024 : Requests for Action Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : March 19, 2024 : Action Request March 18, 2024
Project Report of Planning To Succeed: Rochester 2040 Comprehensive Plan (P2S) : March 18, 2024 : P2S Implementation and Comprehensive Plan Request for Proposal
Organization Report: March 04, 2024 : City Council: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Updates; Housing; International Relations
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : March 01, 2024 : 2024 Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization Plan Reports
Organization Report: January 25, 2024 : Announcing two new part-time roles to ensure accessible services to all communities.
Project Report of Equity in the Built Environment (Bloomberg) : January 10, 2024 : Trade Readiness
Organization Report: December 04, 2023 : City of Rochester, MN
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : December 03, 2023 : 2023 Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization Plan Reports
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : May 25, 2023 : Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Barriers Study
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : April 13, 2023 : 1Q 2023: Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization Plan 2023 Communications
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : January 04, 2023 : Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization 2022 Communication
Project Report of City of Rochester Initiates New Budget Process and Publishes Digital Format : August 27, 2022 : Rochester, MN 2023 Budget Supplemental Budget
Project Report of Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan : March 03, 2022 : Green Business Recognition Program
Project Report of Equity in the Built Environment (Bloomberg) : February 03, 2022 : 2021- 2022 Global Mayors Challenge Status Reports
Project Report of Planning To Succeed: Rochester 2040 Comprehensive Plan (P2S) : January 19, 2022 : Planning 2 Succeed 2022
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : January 03, 2022 : 2021 Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization Plan Reports
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : December 14, 2021 : Building Strong Communities
Project Report of Sustainability and Resiliency Action Plan : June 17, 2021 : Sustainable, Resilient Rochester
Project Report of Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization : May 28, 2021 : Targeted Business Enterprise Utilization Plan
Organization Report: March 17, 2021 : City of Rochester, MN Study Session on DEI
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : September 22, 2020 : Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Major Milestone
Project Report of City of Rochester Initiates New Budget Process and Publishes Digital Format : September 15, 2020 : City of Rochester Initiates New Budget Process and Publishes Digital Format
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : August 20, 2020 : ICI index draft released for City Council review
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : January 30, 2020 : Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Presentation to City Council Study Group
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : June 15, 2018 : Mayor Brede signed ICI pledge
Project Report of Planning To Succeed: Rochester 2040 Comprehensive Plan (P2S) : May 11, 2018 : Planning 2 Succeed: Final Version
Project Report of Update Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI) Index : December 08, 2015 : Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI): Getting the mayor to buy in.
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Community Beam (dmcbeam.org) is a registry of private and public resources (organizations, projects, initiatives, programs) that underpin economic and social developments of greater Rochester: