NL council again moves for 'strong' mayor

New London - The first time it failed because not enough people bothered to vote. The second time, 320 more people voted against it than for it.

Now, for the third time since 2007, the City Council is looking for voter approval to change from a city manager to a strong mayor form of government.

The council, which has three new members, established a Charter Revision Commission Tuesday. Each councilor will pick someone to sit on the seven-member commission. The members will be appointed at a meeting Dec. 14.

The new commission will be able to review and make suggestions for all parts of the city charter, but its main charge will be to draft amendments to create a mayor form of government. The council also has instructed the panel to concentrate on the duties of the Board of Finance and term limits for City Council and Board of Education members.

The last time the 46-page charter was updated was in 1993.

During the November election, every candidate said he or she would be open to a discussion of changing the city's form of government. Councilor Michael Passero was among those who made charter revision in general, and a change to an elected mayor specifically, a centerpiece of his campaign.

"I've never believed a city manager is a democratic form of government,'' Passero said Wednesday. "I believe the problem with the city is we sit around and complain there's no leadership, but we don't elect a leader. We elect seven people with equal parity.

"You wouldn't run a garden club without a president," he added.

The measure has failed in the past, Passero believes, because the first time it was decided at a special election in which not enough people showed up to vote, and the second time it was lumped in with other charter changes.

The question needs to be clear and not bogged down with other proposals, Passero noted. "We have to get people out to vote on either side of the issue,'' he said.

In the meantime, the council is looking to extend the city manager's contract for a third time, even though Martin H. Berliner announced in April that he was ready to retire.

On Tuesday the council asked the city attorney to draft a new contract for Berliner to keep him on the job through June 30.

Berliner, who was hired as an interim manager in September 2006 - the first time the mayor form of government was being decided - has remained on staff for more than three years at the request of the council.

"I'm happy with the way we're working together,'' said Mayor Rob Pero. "It will be good to have him stay ... while we establish a charter revision commission."

In October the council extended Berliner's contract until March and agreed to a $2,000-a-month raise to his $135,000 annual base salary. Berliner said he agreed to stay until June, in part because he did not want to leave the city in the middle of its budget season.

"I have mixed emotions,'' he said Wednesday. "I love what I do. I love it as much as I did when I started 35 years ago. But I'm getting a little older and it's a tiring job. ... I'm ready to retire, but I've been asked to stay, and that is always a big thing.''

Berliner said he's also been asked if he would consider staying until the end of 2010, but on Wednesday he said he is not ready to make that commitment.

"He's well versed in the budget, and for continuity of this young council I think he'll provide some stability and allow us to stay focused,'' Pero said.

But not everyone is happy about the extension.

Councilor Michael Buscetto III said even if the new form of government is approved, it would take another year to elect a mayor. The city eventually is going to have hire a city manager, even as an interim.

Buscetto also thinks the $2,000-a-month raise Berliner received is inappropriate, given the difficult economic times.

"We can't keep giving people raises to stay,'' Buscetto said, adding that he has nothing against Berliner, who he agrees has done a good job for the city.

"When you give out these kinds of raises in this economy, it doesn't look good,'' he said.

k.edgecomb@theday.com