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The Portland Charter Commission's proposal, still in progress, will go to voters next November.

By TOM BELL, Staff Writer November 20, 2009

PORTLAND — The Portland Charter Commission strongly supports creating the position of popularly elected mayor with limited powers.

Although they still must work out many details, members plan to ask voters next November to create what some commissioners call an "uber-councilor." The mayor would be a voting member of the City Council who would prepare and submit a city budget and be the city's political leader.

The commission wants it to be a full-time salaried job.

Members do not, however, want to give the mayor the kind of executive power over day-to-day operations found in larger cities like Boston and New York. That would remain the job of the city manager.

The proposal took shape Thursday when the commission took a series of preliminary votes over the mayoral job description.

Commissioners didn't complete their work, but plan to wrap it up at an upcoming meeting.

By summer, the commission plans to vote on a final set of recommendations for submission to voters, who will get the final say in November.

Currently, the primary duties of Portland's mayor are to chair City Council meetings and attend ceremonial functions.

The commission is now redrafting the city's charter, and the role of mayor is one of several issues under consideration. Commissioners are also looking at the relationship between the City Council and the School Committee, the composition of the council, and whether non-U.S. citizens should vote in city elections.

But Thursday's straw vote made it clear where the 12-member group is headed. All 10 members attending voted in support of a popularly elected mayor.

While some wanted to give the position more power and put the mayor in charge of the executive branch of city government, the majority doesn't want to overreach and create a proposal that would be rejected by voters, said commissioner Ben Chipman, a supporter of a strong mayor.

Commissioner James Cohen said the commission is trying to strike a balance between accountable political leadership and the professional management of the city.

Chris O'Neil of the Portland Community Chamber said the commission appears to support the chamber proposal that the mayor be the city's political leader but not its manager.

"It looks like they are on track to design a smart balance of power in the mayor-manager model," he said.

The commission wants the mayor to set policy direction for the city.

While the mayor would establish broad budget goals, the city manager would be responsible for assembling the nuts and bolts.

The mayor would then present the budget to the council.

The commission envisions a nonpartisan mayoral election without primaries or party affiliations. But commissioners want the elected mayor to receive a clear majority of votes, which could require instant run-off voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference.

The commission was split on the length of a mayoral term, with half wanting a three-year term and the other half wanting a four-year mayor who would be elected during off-year elections.

If approved by voters, the first mayoral election would be in November 2011.

Staff Writer Tom Bell can be contacted at 791-6369 or at:

tbell@pressherald.com