Need to have an effective directly elected mayor emphasised
Friday the 5th of March 2010
The Government has approved draft legislation for a directly elected mayor for Dublin. It is said that a mayoral election will be held this year. Ireland has one of the most centralised governance structures in the western world, despite being a Republic where governance is meant to be for the people and by the people. A system for directly elected mayors in the main conurbations of population in Ireland could hold the key to shifting power from a sluggish central government to localities and to the people. There is a need as we move towards 2016 to reinvigorate central and local government in Ireland and have a true Republic of governance by and for the people.
We are living in the so-called century of the city, indeed the majority of citizens on our planet live in urban areas. The most successful world cities are governed by elected mayors. The recently published Global Cities Index illustrated that New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo are the most powerful cities in the world. London Paris and Frankfurt are considered Europe’s favourite business cities, sadly Dublin has dropped from 15 to 18 between 1990 and 2008. Vienna Zurich and Geneva are rated as the three top cities in the world for quality of life. Dublin is rated 25 on the index. Singapore, Munich and Copenhagen are rated the top three cities in the world for infrastructure, Dublin does not make it into the top 50.
What this really tells us is that despite the Celtic Tiger boom and the flood of tax money into central government over the last few years that the present structure has failed to deliver infrastructure and quality of life for citizens in Dublin. The National Competitiveness Council has recently stated in one of their reports “On a global basis, city regions are magnets for talent and investment but our national policies have been ambivalent on this key competitive issue.” The Dublin Region accounts for 47% of GDP and its Gross Value added is 40% higher than the national average. It is evident that if wealth is to be created and jobs and full employment to return the competent management of Dublin is the key way forward. The election of a mayor directly by a vote of the people of Dublin should be welcomed.
The present mayor of London is applauded for banning alcohol on public transport, scrapping bendy buses as they don’t suit London streets, improving policing and cutting costs.
The mayor of Paris has been applauded for introducing the Paris Beach on the Seine which attracted more than three million visitors between the months of July and August. The mayor also bought new apartments in Paris city centre to make them available as moderate rent dwellings.
The mayor of Bordeaux has scrapped the underground and put three Light Rail Tram lines on the streets (instead of underground) put cars and deliveries underground thereby creating one of the most beautiful European pedestrian spaces in an 18th century city.
The mayor of New York has been rightly applauded for playing a major role in decreasing the crime rate in New York. Decent and hardworking citizens want to feel safe within their neighbourhoods and he has created such an environment over the years. Banning smoking, creating Municipal Park & Ride facilities and day time shelters for the homeless are also recorded as some of his achievements in turning around the quality of life index in New York City.
The first mayor of New York was appointed in 1665. The first mayor directly elected by the people was in 1834. The mayor of New York may appoint several deputy mayors to assist him. There are currently seven deputy mayors, all of whom report directly to the mayor. They do not have the right to succeed the mayor.
It is critical that any Irish legislation be debated publicly by Dubliners before it is passed by Dáil Éireann. Past experience in looking at what happened to other mayors in other countries would suggest that there is resistance in the beginning from public servants (politicians) who are elected and public servants who are appointed, to the powers of a directly elected mayor, if not to the post. It is important that the directly elected mayor for Dublin is not perceived as a prize to be carved out by political parties to those loyal to the party agenda. Or worse still celebrity candidates.
What are needed are candidates who understand modern urban living and are familiar with the European model of cities where the city centre is a truly living city with a social residential mix, a thriving economy and a built heritage and pubic domain that is well maintained, respected and cared for. To achieve this, they understand that jobs are earned by creating new wealth, not by selling houses and apartments to one another. People who have a proven track record of achievement in delivering transformational change, quiet managerial competence in delivery and not given to pointless gestures would make good mayors to deliver a world class Dublin. Dublin needs a mayor with the above qualities.
It has been reported that the mayor will have a salary of €200,000 a year but will not be allowed raise his/her budget. It is also reported that the embargo on recruitment into the public service means that staff from the existing Local Authorities will be transferred to the mayor’s office. If this is true it will not be good enough. Dublin to become a world class region, the directly elected mayor needs to be able to attract skilful talented people from wherever, not just the existing public service. The mayor of New York appoints his deputies and commissioners to run the city. None have a right to succeed the mayor and stand down with the mayor. New York has 52 Councillors representing over 8 million residents, Dublin area (with around 1 million) which elects the mayor has 130 councillors not to mention 4 Local Authorities crying out for reform and the reduction of duplication and costs.
Unless the directly elected mayor is free to really lead and manage it can only be seen as the dead hand of central government resisting Ireland’s progress towards a mature Republican Democracy. An office for influence is not governance.
This new office must be given the scope and means and the power and finance to make Dublin a fit capital for the 21st century.
It is important that there should be a code of ethics for any directly elected mayor. Obviously no candidate should be considered as eligible to go before the people in Dublin unless a tax clearance certificate is produced before the election. It is important the mayor is able to perform his/her duties beyond reproach as the mayor will become the brand for the city. In today’s environment Dublin is competing against the world for talent, business, resources and wealth and job creation.
Questions that need to be addressed before any directly elected mayor for Dublin could be supported by the business community might include:
· What functions should the mayor have?
· Who pays for this mayor?
· If we end up with 5+ city managers and 5+ mayors (called cathaoirleach) and a directly elected mayor where will the real and final balance of power lay?
· How do we avoid a HSE developing in local government?
· If a new layer of management is to be put in place in local government in Dublin it follows that such structures should be also available for the major centres of population such as Cork and Galway and that the size and cost of central and local government should be reduced accordingly before any directly mayor is put in place.
· The Office of the Lord Mayor of Dublin is an ancient office which in a world of globalisation and sameness is a competitive advantage and so also are the other ancient offices of mayors in the rest of Ireland. What relationship and role should all of these office holders have in any new structure?
· How much should an elected mayor be paid and how much should the budget of the elected mayor be in order to ensure that there is competent management of the functional area?
· Expenditure for public service delivery comes from taxes, both direct and indirect. Is it not vital that any agreement on the directly elected mayor does not result in material oppression of the citizens and ratepayers by taxes?
· How can a directly elected mayor be removed for incompetence?
· It is imperative at this time that the overall cost of local government be reduced and there should be a reduction in functional duplication (leading by definition to unnecessary costs) Therefore prior to any consideration of an additional layer of local government such as a directly elected mayor, there should be real and significant reform of local government.
· The response of the Danes to the 1970s crisis was to delegate significant amounts of responsibility and funds away from Central Government to Local Government. We need to do the same.
· The principle of reducing the overall burden to the rates base should underpin all thinking on this matter, as by universal agreement the rates base is going to contract in the foreseeable future.
· Should the costs for the directly elected mayor?
- Be paid from business rates?
- Be paid from the reintroduced rates on residential property?
- Be paid from VAT? (1% in the Mayoral area from existing VAT)
- Be paid from Central Government funds?
· Should there be a re-introduction of the vote for business ratepayers in the event of rates from domestic residences being not included in funding.
The debate is important and so is the legislation. Dubliners will have a chance to elect the person with the highest number of votes in Ireland, except the elections for President and Europe. This will create in time a new politics -- a Dublin voice, an urban politics voice.
Who can vote in elections and referenda? The type of election you can vote in depends on your citizenship. The following people are eligible to vote:
· Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
· British citizens may vote at Dáil, European and local elections
· Other EU citizens may vote at European and local elections
· Non-EU citizens can vote at local elections only
Every person living in the Dublin Region needs to register to vote and make your voice heard.