West Hollywood's Broken Council Deputy System
West Hollywood deserves a city councll deputy system that serves all of the people,
whether you’re a friend of a councilmember or not. Presently, it is fair to say the West Hollywood deputy system is broken and needs to be repaired. There are allegations of deputy misconduct that may, at worst, be illegal and unfortunately, at best, be unethical. Couple that with the frequent complaints about deputies’ mistreatment of constituents, and city staff, that are never investigated or result in changed behavior.
I do see the value of each council office having the service of a dedicated person to interact daily with constituents, and bring focus and sustained effort to address critical issues raised by residents. However, it certainly does not require a salary similar to the Governor for the State of California. How did this get so out of control?
I also strongly believe that council should have a say in who is hired, because they represent the voters, but the hiring of deputies needs to be a transparent process with a clear job description and accountability to the people. And, the council deputy candidate must have the background and experience in working with the public and on government issues or the equivalent. That has not always been the case.
I am a stalwart advocate for good governance that all our residents and visitors are entitled to. Our deputy system is failed and I hope that soon they will restore sanity and accountability back to City Hall.
There is an item on this Monday's City Council Agenda that begins to address this problem. I think that a group of residents and some business leaders should participate in this "evaluation". Not just those hand chosen by the City Manager but others that maybe haven't particpated before in city governance. You can address the council on Monday to voice your thoughts.
