Can you explain the powers and duties of the city mayor and explain how they differ from those of the city manager and could you also explain the process the city goes through before making changes to our roadways ?

— Kathy Srabian

Responses

Anil Dwivedi

Eureka operates under a Council-Manager form of government, so understanding the difference between leadership and administration is important.

The Mayor is elected separately from the five City Council members. The Mayor presides over Council meetings, represents the City, makes appointments to boards and committees with Council approval, approves or disapproves ordinances, and casts the deciding vote when the Council is tied.

The City Council makes policy. It adopts ordinances and resolutions, approves the budget, appropriates funds, approves contracts and programs, and ultimately sets the City’s direction.

The City Manager is the operational head of the City. The Manager oversees City departments and employees and is responsible for implementing the policies and priorities established by the City’s elected leadership.

That distinction matters. A good mayor shouldn’t pretend to be the City Manager or personally run Public Works. But the Mayor absolutely should provide leadership, ask difficult questions, bring residents concerns to City Hall, build consensus, and hold the administration accountable for results.

Roadway changes are a good example. Eureka’s Engineering and Transportation staff evaluate traffic flow, safety, accident history, parking, pedestrian needs and other engineering considerations. Depending on the project, changes may also involve adopted City plans and standards, funding and budgeting, public input, environmental or other required reviews, and ultimately City Council action when Council approval is required.

But I believe one principle should always be present: the people who actually live, work and drive on those streets deserve to be heard before major changes are made.

As Mayor, I won’t promise that I can walk into City Hall and personally order every change I want. That’s not how Eureka’s government works. What I can promise is leadership: asking why, demanding transparency, making sure residents are heard, building support on the Council, and following through until we get results.

The Mayor may not run every department, but the Mayor can and should help set the direction, bring people together, and make sure City Hall remains accountable to the people it serves.

Anil Dwivedi

Kim Bergel

Thank you for the question Kathy. The City of Eureka is run by City Manager systems, not a strong mayor system. What that means for us is that our City Manager manages administrative duties day to day and is tasked with implementing policy set by City Council. The Mayor does not make policy. City Council members are our policy makers.

The Mayor does have limited power (veto/tie breaking) but the Mayor’s job is really about running a good meeting and being an Ambassador and Champion for our City and community.

I currently serve as co-chair on the Humboldt County Association of Governments, (HCOAG), and Community Access Project Eureka(CAPE) as well as various committees as needed. Not a requirement, but as your Mayor I have set up a Mayor’s initiative. that focuses on mental health and stigma reduction. Along with my team we have hosted 7 town halls on a variety of subjects in collaboration with DHHS, NAMI, CIT, and a variety of other partners.

Every Mayor has a different idea on how to promote our City. I do this by building connections in community and reflecting the value that every one of our citizens deserves. I show off our City to visitors, and locals and promote my hometown.

The Mayor is also the main representative who supports the opening of new businesses and City infrastructure projects like new housing and park facilities. And I make sure that I am available and there in person to let the community and local business owners know that the City is here to foster and promote economic development.

On a personal note, I have a strong personal belief that when we meet each other at casual and fun events, we make those connections that help us to work better through the challenges together. As your mayor I am an ambassador by building connections and community through events, kindness and inclusion while reflecting the value that every one of our citizens deserves. I show off our City to visitors, and locals and promote my hometown. I believe the Mayor should be available to all individuals in our City and I practice being available everyday. So, to answer the question “what does the mayor do?” Well I bring people together, from both sides of the aisle. I promote community and support its businesses, I welcome the world to our corner of California, and I take great pride in Eureka!

Now about roads. Changing roadways is a very long process which requires many surveys, trials, community input and careful thought and planning. For each and every project from a stop sign to a bike lane there are certain warrants that must be met. When considering the priority of repair projects there are many considerations. There are streets that are in incredible disrepair and need to be completely rebuilt and those with relatively minor issues. Staff assesses each project and recommends in the Coastal Improvement Plan (CIP)which streets will be slated for the next five years. Our streets have been deteriorating for years without dedicated funds to catch up. Measure H, which I campaigned for and was passed by voters on November 2020 provides dedicated funds to aggressively repair our streets. Thank you voters. Please reach out if you have further questions. 707-616-2178

 

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