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Business Process
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Caring Relationship
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Civic Engagement
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Commitment
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Disabilities
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Diversity and Inclusion
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Economic Development
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Food
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Governance/Public Policy
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Health
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Intelligence
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Neighborhood
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Vision/Identity
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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