City Government in Superior

2053

What Will Our Next Mayor Do?

As we approach our second mayoral election in two years, perhaps now is the time to take a look at where we’re at and where we hope to go. Our city government and our next mayor have some big challenges.

The new mayor will likely preside over a proposed redevelopment of our downtown should the Better City Superior initiative succeed. Additionally, Superior continues to lose population, and the mayor will be under pressure to reverse that trend. He or she will be called upon to lead the charge in bringing and sustaining business in our fair city, and will also be asked to address the aging housing stock problem that makes Superior a less attractive place to live for new residents to the region.

Superior’s Form of Government

In Wisconsin, all cities that have mayors are required by law to adopt the Strong Council/Weak Mayor form of government. This term is not intended as a judgement of effectiveness of the mayor or council, but instead distinguishes the level of political power and administrative authority assigned to the mayor by the municipal charter.

Will our new mayor have new ideas?

The concept of “weak” or “strong” mayor is more reflective of a continuum of power that is demonstrated by the day to day operations of a city over time. Duluth for example has a strong mayor form of government, one in which the mayor has more executive power with a higher degree of latitude in guiding the city.

According to the National League of Cities (NLC):

Most “strong” mayors are in the mayor-council form of government, and are directly elected by citizens to that office. Most “weak” mayors are mayors in a council-manager form, and are elected from within the city council.

The NLC defines the characteristics of a strong mayor as:

  • The mayor is the chief executive officer, centralizing executive power.
  • The mayor directs the administrative structure, appointing and removing of department heads.
  • While the council has legislative power, the mayor has veto power.
  • The council does not oversee daily operations.

The NLC defines the characteristics of a weak mayors as:

  • The council is powerful, with both legislative and executive authority.
  • The mayor is not truly the chief executive, with limited power or no veto power.
  • The council can prevent the mayor from effectively supervising city administration.
  • There may be many administrative boards and commissions that operate independently from the city government.  

Contrary to what the NLC reports, mayors in Wisconsin do have veto power. According to WI Stat. 62.0(8)(c)

The mayor shall have the veto power as to all acts of the council, except such as to which it is expressly or by necessary implication otherwise provided.

Of course, this power is subject to Council oversight. Should a mayor in Wisconsin choose to veto a council action, this is done by filing an objection with the city clerk, who then presents that objection to the council at their next meeting. The council does have the ability to override a mayoral veto by a two-thirds vote however. 

I bring this up because the conventional wisdom as independently relayed to me by two current city councilors is that the council is stronger than the mayor. While that is true technically, it only holds true in practice if the council has a majority vote of 7-3 to overturn a mayoral veto.

How Mayoral Power Guides or Limits Superior’s Future

Why is our form of government important? It is no secret that the motivations and ambitions of the mayor of any city can and do impact the direction that a city takes. Whether the mayor is considered to be “strong” or “weak”, his or her role of leader can determine to a great extent which direction a city moves in.

The population of Superior peaked in 1910 at 40,384 people, and has been steadily declining ever since. Today we hover around 26,500 with projections bringing us below 26,000 by 2020. In the face of diminished retail sales options (Target, K-Mart, etc.), flat job growth, and low home values/high real estate taxes, Superior is at a turning point.

Assuming Superior continues operating with a mayor/council form of government, the next mayor needs to take a leadership role with the intent of turning this boat around. Each mayor has a moral or economic compass that guides them.

Past is Prologue…Or Is It?

Conventional wisdom states that those who fail to learn the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them. Another way of looking at it is that what’s done is done, and if we can only turn the page we may reveal a new and promising future.

Mayor Dave Ross

Former Mayor Dave Ross seemed intent on development by demolition, hence the removal of buildings such as the Palace Theatre. Unnamed sources report that he kept souvenir bricks on his desk from the various buildings he oversaw the destruction of in Superior. He also had a moral opposition towards the LGBT community and lobbied against granting a liquor license to the Flame Nightclub. Weak mayor or not, whether you agreed/liked Mayor Ross or not, he had an impact on Superior.

Mayor Bruce Hagen

Our current Mayor Bruce Hagen has served Superior in this role on two occasions, first in the 1970’s and again in the new millennium. By most standards, Mayor Hagen is an honorable man who has our city’s best interests at heart. He has worked in both city and state government, and upon his return to Superior several years ago he brought a wealth of experience and connections to city government.

Nonetheless, Hagen’s approach to city redevelopment is by all accounts conservative, which is not surprising given his age. He is resigning from city government to enjoy a well-deserved retirement, and he does not want to leave Superior with a legacy of debt.

During Mayor Hagen’s term, Tower Avenue was reconstructed, and planning for reconstruction of Belknap Street is a done deal. These are important steps towards rebuilding Superior. Like Ross, Hagen has changed Superior. 

Are We On The Right Track?

The plans have been laid for building a stronger Superior. Our major cross streets have been or will soon be rebuilt. The Better City Superior initiative seems as though it will obtain State approval and there is optimism that the binding resolution that will be placed before voters in April will pass. Will our next Mayor be up to the task of effectively leading Superior to the promised land?

According to George N. Root III, there are five top qualities that effective leaders must have to facilitate change. Superior needs change…it is imperative that our leaders and residents be open to and desire change in order for Superior to remain relevant in our region.

Root defines these five leadership features as follows:

  • Persuasivea good leader takes information and presents it in a way that convinces those affected that it is a change for the good. Charismatic leadership is persuasive and effective.
  • Thoroughall possible outcomes must be explored, and a good leader takes the time to ask questions. By examining the worst and best case scenarios in advance, the leader is more likely to be successful.
  • Confidenta tentative leader does not engender confidence from those he/she is trying to lead. If our new mayor isn’t confident about the direction they intend to take us they will probably fail.
  • Communicativean ongoing knock on Superior city government is a perceived lack of transparency. The next mayor will only be able to effect change if he/she can consistently and effectively communicate their vision.
  • Unwaveringbeing effective also requires a high degree of fortitude. Unwavering follow-through coupled with thorough planning and confidence effectively communicated will increase the chance of success.

As we approach the primary vote for mayor in February, we must all ask ourselves if the candidates on the ballot have the qualities listed above to advance the interests of Superior.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

Meet the Mayoral Candidates

Explore Superior will host a mayoral forum at the Superior Library on Thursday, January 19th beginning at 5:30 p.m. We’ve invited candidates Brent Fennessey, Mike Herrick, Kalee Hermanson, Jim Monaghan, and Jim Paine to attend. All five candidates agreed to attend, however this week Mr. Monaghan chose to withdraw from the campaign and will not be on the dais. Should additional candidates emerge before the filing deadline, they will be welcome to attend.

The public is invited to attend, and Explore Superior will also broadcast the event via Facebook LIVE through our Facebook Page. Additionally, Community TV will video tape the entire event and later broadcast it on local public access channels. We will publish that broadcast schedule when it becomes available.

 




2 thoughts on “City Government in Superior

  1. Colin P. Payton

    I’m going to disagree with your comment about mayor Hagen’s attitude having to do with his age. Honestly, I would think people find this to be offensive. I’ve found the mayor to be an honorable man in every interaction he and I have had. Mr. Hagen has done a great deal for this city, and I believe his intentions have always had Superior’s best interest at heart. The statutory construction of the city’s administration is quite inconsequential. When you think about the purchasing options of real estate across the bridge, the far lower taxes coupled with amenities make an automatic no brainer. Neither the mayor, nor the council can fix that. If you live in the heart of the state, you’re insulated. If you live in a border city and the other guy is doing it better, what do you do? Now that’s the challenge. There is an answer. We’ll see who finds it.

    Reply
    1. Doug Dalager Post author

      When I wrote that, I couldn’t find exactly the right word/phrase to convey what I meant. I didn’t intend to show disrespect towards Bruce’s age (I’m not that far behind) but was more in line with the fact that he’s quite conservative economically. Perhaps using the word generation would’ve been a better choice than age.

      The mayor is leaving office early and it’s clear that he didn’t want to potentially leave a lot of debt in his name. I’m told he feels that the reconstruction of Tower and Belknap are his legacy. It makes sense that as he bows out, he isn’t all about taking risk. Had he intended to serve out his term, and perhaps run for a third term, he might have felt differently. The next mayor will need to take some risk if he or she hopes to revive Superior’s fortunes.

      As far as the statutory construction of the city administration goes, for things to change, it will take a leader who is willing to think outside the proverbial box, think positive, and NOT focus on how much better and easier things are in Duluth vs. Superior. I think a younger person in the office who is focusing on a long term future in Superior will be far more likely to find the answer than those at or nearing retirement age. It wasn’t too many years ago that Duluth was facing economic disaster due to the pension obligations they were under. When Don Ness became mayor, I wasn’t confident he would succeed but he took bold steps and rallied the city residents behind him. Superior needs the same type of leadership.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in City, Elections, Government
Kalee Hermanson, Mayoral Platform | Explore Superior
Hermanson Issues Mayoral Platform

Candidate Details Her Goals Explore Superior remains a neutral reporter of all candidates for public office, and will continue to...

Five Mayoral Candidates Support BCS

Better City Superior Favored by All Candidates In anticipation of an upcoming Mayoral Candidates Forum to be sponsored by Explore...

Close