Juneau is about to decide who will chair the lawmaking and management oversight body we call the Borough Assembly. Although we have a city manager, he serves at the pleasure of this Assembly. And, the laws and regulations that the manager must abide are set by the Assembly. Clearly, as chairperson of the Assembly, the mayor is the senior leader of Juneau.
Persons professionally skilled at appearing before committees use the expression “through the chair” when answering a question of a committee member other than the chairperson. That deference is not by accident.
A skilled chairperson has enormous power. They set the agenda of meetings. Once the meeting begins, the direction of the topic under consideration is in his/her hands. Whether a topic is settled immediately, or delayed until a particular side can call up more information or expert testimony, can be swayed by the chair.
One group is arguing that a special election for a mayor who has been directly elected to that position by the people is a frivolous expense. Yet they are spending far more to elect their candidate than the public expense of the election.
It is true effective committee members can contribute leadership and direction to a topic under consideration without being “the chair”. Karen Crane has done this for some time as a sitting member of the Assembly.
It is time to allow her to lead from the chair as mayor of the City and Borough of Juneau.
Lawrence Hurlock,
Juneau