LIHU‘E — More than 100 residents rallied Monday night at the War Memorial Convention Hall to learn more about a county manager government system. David Mora, a retired county manager with over 35 years of government experience in California, was
LIHU‘E — More than 100 residents rallied Monday night at the War Memorial Convention Hall to learn more about a county manager government system.
David Mora, a retired county manager with over 35 years of government experience in California, was invited by the county Charter Review Commission to give a presentation on a county manager’s position and how it operates in a local government structure. Afterward Mora answered questions from the audience.
The meeting was part of the Charter Commission’s special committee to investigate and research the county/city manager form of government to determine whether it will become a charter amendment to be placed on the ballot for the public to vote on.
After a warm introduction by Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., who stressed that a decision on this issue could “fundamentally change how Kaua’i has been governed for the past four decades,” Mora took the stage.
The county manager system is a growing trend across the country, with over 92 million people in the U.S. living in cities and counties who have adopted this form, Mora said. A county manager serves at the pleasure of the mayor and the county council to manage the budget approved by the governing body.
“The mayor is the principal spokesperson for the community,” Mora said. “The county manager is not.”
Mora is the west coast regional director of the International City/County Management Association, a nonprofit organization founded in 1914.
There are 12 “tenants” the ICMA lists on its Web site, which emphasize the county manager’s role as a “trusted public servant” encouraging a positive relationship between elected officials and the public.
Mora described county managers as “highly-trained non-partisan professionals.”
The national salary average for a county manager is $107,855, according to Mora, who likened the job to that of a CEO of a private corporation, who “carries out the policies established by the elected governing body.”
Mora explained that under a county manager form of government, the manager has the responsibility of managing the budget and the authority to appoint and remove “at least most of the principle department heads and county functions.” A county manager can also be terminated at any time by the governing body, Mora said.
“In my 35 years, I had my job on the line every time the council met,” Mora said. “That’s a very important factor because it speaks to accountability.”
The qualifications for a county manager ideally include a master’s degree in public administration coupled with years of experience. However, Mora emphasized that “having the skills set to work with elected officials” is critical to the position.
“There isn’t a school that can teach you how to effectively work with a group of elected officials,” Mora said
During the question and answer portion, Mora reminded his audience he was simply presenting information. He remained neutral, mirroring the conduct outlined in ICMA’s code of ethics he discussed earlier.
“This is not a criticism of Kaua’i County,” Mora said, adding that while the county manager style of government “has a high likelihood of success, that doesn’t mean other forms … can’t also succeed.”
For more information, visit www.icma.org. To view the meeting, visit www.hoike.org for a program schedule of when it will be aired.
