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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1972)
Mayor is city's official representative By KATHY O'GRADY Of the Emerald What is the role of the mayor of the city of Eugene? “The mayor’s role is defined in the city charter,” stated mayor Les Anderson. “It’s really quite basic. The mayor shall be the official representative of the city of Eugene. What official representative means you can kind of draw your own conclusion.” The mayor also “presides at all council meetings and shall vote only in the case of a tie,” Anderson said. He also has “the power to appoint certain members of boards and commissions z id these are spelled out in the various co amissions and boards as they’re set up by ordinance.” “The role of the mayor is something that has been developed over the years with each mayor pretty much doing his own thing," Anderson said. “So it’s really more or less what eachone wants to make of it.” “In a citizen form of government as we have here the matter of administration is pretty much left up to the city manager,” said the mayor. The “city manager” form of government was adopted in 1944 by the Eugene citizens under Charter amend ment. “The mayor and the council involve themselvesmostly with must policy matters and direct the city manager to carry out the policies that are establishes. If there’s any major role of the mayor it’s attempting to serve as the catalyst of public opinion in the entire community,” stated Anderson. The mayor is the only elected official elected by all of the people in the city of Eugene. Anderson was elected to the position of mayor three and a ahlf years ago and along with four councilmen, Charles Teague, Fred Mohr, Wickes Beal, and Ray Bradshaw, comes up for re election in November in the general election, provided he decides to seek a second term. “The councilmen represent wards in the city,” Anderson said, “there is a geographical breakdown in representation within the city while the mayor does not conform to that geographical breakdown.” The mayor is sort of “the representative of all of the people.” “I think my role is primarily to try to keep the council and the public steered on a course that's moving forward," said the mayor. “A major problem is to try to combine the many diverse opinions and attitudes in the community and try to steer them in such a way that the net result is more or less a combination of all of these opinions and attitudes,” he said. "1 try to keep us moving forward all the time, otherwise you get stymied in con troversy. You try to make something positive out of every major decision that the council makes.” “I think that that is the role of the mayor, along with interpreting public policy as it's established,” the mayor said. “If it be a new ordinance, or a budget, 1 think that the mayor’s role is to ar ticulate the features of the particular proposal and try to persuade the com munity to accept it or to support it.” The mayor's days vary as to what sorts of activities he is engaged in. Whatever he is called on to do he does, he said. During any one week he might be found in the governor’s office in Salem meeting with a special task force on school tax reform, attending a joint housing committee meeting, participating in dedication ceremonies or welcoming guests to Eugene. "Every day at 4 p.m. I come to City Hall and 1 generally talk to anyone who wants to come in," he said. "Eugene is no longer a small com munity,” Anderson said. “It has many of the same problems a larger community does." "I’m sure the workload of the mayor has increased considerably over the recent years. It’s not uncommon in cities in the East of 80 to 100 thousand people to have a full time mayor and even full time city commissioners," he said. “Here, really, the people of Eugene are getting this for free, (the mayor is paid $200 a month for expenses) as long as people want to serve and as long as we want to support a city manager form of governemtn,” Anderson stated. The mayor's role in the summertime isn't quite as heavy as at other times of the year. "Summertime is a period when everybody more or less catches their breath around here,” Anderson said. “There aren't as many meeting of various groups, conventions are a little more in frequent, my work load is somewhat lighter." You must re-register if you've moved Voter Registration facilities available at variety of sites . “Voting is a basic and an im portant activity,” says Eugene community relations officer Barbara Shellenbarger. Before you can vote, however, you have to be registered. “You can register to vote in fire stations and with the county clerk at the Lane County Courthouse,” Shellenbarger said. But there are also tables set up around campus at various times. Voter registration tables can usually be found in the Co-op or on the EMU Terrace at the beginning of the term. In order to register, the in dividual must provide his full name, address, date and place of birth, occupation, parents’ full name and your political party affiliation The voting age has been lowered to 18, and other than that there are very few requirements for registering to vote. According to the County Clerk’s office there is no residency requirement, except that you have to be registered 31 days before an election you wish to vote in. The only people not allowed to vote are those who are not registered and convicted felons while incarcerated or on probation may not vote. “In order to vote in the federal elections you have to be registered locally and once you're registered locally you can vote in any election within your jurisdiction,” said Shellen barger. ‘‘Anyone who is here who might happen to be out of town on the day of an election may pick up an absentee ballot in the city finance department up to and including the day before the election,” she said. A voter may also pick up absentee ballots from the County Clerk’s office and return them either to the County Courthouse or the city finance department. They will make sure the ballots are taken to the correct precinct. Many people have moved between spring and summer terms. They must re-register, if they wish to vote. “You have to reregister if you want to change your political party, if your name has been changed by marriage or court order or if your mailing address has changed,” Shellenbarger said. Anyone who moves but Hungry for Breakfast Served 24 HOURS a Day 1525 Franklin Blvd Open 24 Hours at the THE MILL RACE Restaurant 2 LARGE EGGS HASH BROWNS TOAST JELLY & COFFEE MUSIC From the SUN SHOP 860 E. 13th Records Guitars Components remains within city limits, can pick up a certificate up to and including the day of an election at the County Courthouse which will allow them to vote in their new polling place, where they now live, according to Shellenbarger. “Any person who changes his residence within 60 days prior to an election can still vote in the election after picking up the certificate of registration.” The certificate must state both new and old addresses If a person has changed his residence more than 60 days before an election and has not reregistered he may not vote in that election. 'I WELCOME TO EUGENE ! ■ Eugene has a reputation of being a "city for people." We hope you'll find it a pleasant place to live during the coming weeks and months. Please call on us for information and assistance about: * Mall activities * bike paths * park facilities * fire prevention * recreational activities * police assistance We invite you to attend all of the City Council meetings: Wednesday noons Eugene Hotel Second and fourth Mondays City Hall City of Eugene 777 Pearl St. 342 5221 MM)
