An ordinance being introduced at Tuesday’s Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting will consider a manager plan of government, which would move the position of chief administrator for the borough from the mayor to a borough manager.
Sponsored by assembly members Hal Smalley and Kelly Cooper, the ordinance would allow the assembly to appoint a borough manager through a majority vote.
In a June 20 memo from Cooper and Smalley to the assembly, they said the mayor would still be elected area wide, but would no longer be the chief administrator.
“The mayor would serve as chair of the assembly, still be able to participate in assembly discussions, may vote on assembly actions in the case of a tie and may veto assembly actions,” the memo states.
The memo says the borough manager form of government is found in 12 out of the 19 borough in Alaska.
This form of government can be initiated either by a petition or by a motion adopted by the assembly.
If the ordinance is approved by the assembly, voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on the Oct. 1 ballot, and decide if this is a form of government they wish to adopt.
If approved by the voters, the assembly would adopt a manager plan within 60 days.
The public hearing and vote on this ordinance will take place at the Aug. 6 assembly meeting.
