Too Much City Hall
Mayor Ronald calls for massive municipal restructuring to trim a 'costly and cumbersome' city government.
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Mayor Ronald submitted proposed amendments to the city charter to the city council last night, arguing that the existing municipal machinery is too costly and cumbersome for a city of its size. He pointed out that the current charter is designed for cities many times the size of Seattle, leading to fragmented responsibility. The mayor proposed abolishing one house of the council, merging the legislative department into a single body with one member per ward. He also recommended consolidating boards—specifically abolishing the police, fire, and park commissions—arguing that committees of the council could more effectively manage these departments. Furthermore, he suggested creating a purchasing agent, noting that the city currently pays more for goods than private citizens do because the Board of Public Works is poorly suited to the task of procurement. The council appointed a committee to study these radical revisions.
“In attempting to hedge against, or to curtail powers and divide responsibility, it practically places power everywhere and responsibility nowhere.”
Mayor Ronald's 1893 frustration with a 'diffusive' and 'costly' city charter echoes the modern perennial debate over Seattle's form of government. The tension between specialized commissions and centralized legislative control remains a recurring theme in Seattle's civic architecture.
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