Strong-mayor system a bad idea for San Jose

Thank you to Les White and Debra Figone, former city managers of San Jose, for their July 7 op-ed (“Why San Jose voters should reject strong-mayor system”) regarding why San Jose voters should reject a strongmayor system. It helps to explain how City Hall works for those who don’t know or who are unaware of how city government is mandated to operate.

Decisions made by elected officials are often politically motivated, short-sighted and not necessarily utilizing or taking into consideration good business practices.

We need only look at our current president and federal politicians for evidence of what chaos a political administration can bring. A strong-mayor system is not a good idea for San Jose.

— Barbara Coats, Manager, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo,

San Jose