Time for Broward to elect a mayor

It’s crunch time for a committee that will largely decide whether Broward County voters get to elect the county mayor.

After meeting for two years, the Charter Review Commission’s governance committee today will finally debate the merits of letting voters decide whether to change the structure of county government at the top.

We hope committee members agree the choice is clear. It’s long past time to let Broward citizens elect their mayor.

As things stand, Broward’s nine county commissioners pick the mayor, rotating the mostly ceremonial post among themselves every year. That means as few as five people now select Broward’s top political leader. For a county with nearly 2 million people, that’s just wrong.

Plus, because no commissioner is elected countywide, the county mayor cannot be held accountable by voters countywide.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Broward needs a strong, recognizable leader who can better represent our interests in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

We need someone with clout who can command the bully pulpit and set an agenda that doesn’t change from year to year. With each of the last three mayors, by contrast, the focus has shifted from transportation, to trumpeting good news, to small business. We need a sustainable action plan.

The charter review commission is convened every 10 years to consider whether changes are needed in the governance structure of this rapidly growing county. The last big change came in 2000, when voters increased the number of county commissioners from seven to nine, with none elected countywide. That same year, voters rejected the notion of a strong county mayor, perhaps waiting to see if the other changes — including commission term limits — were sufficient.

But over the years, fault lines have developed that keep Broward from making the strides seen in other mayor-led counties. Each commissioner wears the parochial hat of his or her district, and defers to colleagues on close-to-home issues. We need someone to wear a countywide hat and speak up for what’s right.

Perhaps most importantly, Broward now has 31 cities that incorporate almost all the county’s land. Most of these cities have strong-willed mayors. The county needs a counterpart who can bridge strained relationships and help advance the greater good.

Going into today’s meeting, it’s said the 12-member governance committee is divided on the county mayor question. If a majority of members vote it down, the proposal’s death is not certain. It could resurface before the full 19-member commission. But if seven members stand against it today, it would face long odds before the full group.

One option on tap would simply make today’s one-year mayoral post a two-year gig. But such a tweak hardly solves the leadership void. This county needs a mayor who’s elected by — and responsible to — all county voters. Here are some of the tension points: Is the job full-or part-time? If the position is needed, then it needs to be full-time. Besides, letting a mayor work for another entity creates too much potential for conflicts of interest.

Is it a partisan or nonpartisan post? County commission candidates run as Democrats, Republicans or some other party. So, too, should mayoral candidates. Don’t kid yourself. Even in nonpartisan elections, a candidate’s political party is known. It’s said that Republican members might prefer a nonpartisan post because Broward skews blue. But self-interest is not a good foundation for sound public policy.

What about the county administrator? If the proposal advances, it’s believed the structure would retain the position of county administrator, which means no cost savings. But a professional administrator would supposedly minimize problems with politicians new to government. That said, we believe a mayor should be able to pick his or her staff, including the administrator, just as CEOs pick their teams.

Incidentally, Broward Administrator Bertha Henry is in the DROP program and plans to retire in 2022. If the mayor proposal passes, the first election would be in 2020.

Who builds the budget? You can tell a lot about a leader by their spending priorities, so the proposal should let the mayor build the budget, assisted by the administrator. Commissioners can always change the budget, just as Congress and the Florida Legislature change the budgets presented by a president or governor. That’s their legislative, oversight role.

What about a veto? Without a doubt, the mayor should be given veto power, though a good mayor would never have to use it. Just having the hammer affords influence. The debate is whether commissioners should be able to overturn a veto with a 6-3 or 5-4 vote. The higher threshold would create less tumult but still allow for rogue decisions to be overturned.

Would minorities be able to win a county mayor election? Absolutely. Look no further than the successful campaigns of Broward Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes, Clerk of Courts Brenda Forman or former Elections Supervisor Myriam Oliphant.

More concerns are sure to arise, too, including salary and term limits.

But as committee members weigh their decision, we encourage them to be guided by this basic tenet of American democracy: the ability of citizens to elect their leaders.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O'Hara, Elana Simms, Andy Reid, Deborah Ramirez and Editor-in-Chief Howard Saltz.