The timing of the firing IS uncanny. And instructive. Like, we already HAVE a CAO. It isn't at all clear to me that the Charter Commission proposal is changing much of anything when it comes to the CAO, except maybe constructing layer of illusory independence for the CAO to make the proposal more acceptable to charter voters. I mean, the CAO is gonna be making big "professional" bureau management decisions, but in "consultation" with the Mayor so they don't get fired as an "at-will" employee, who will definitely have negotiated a severance package... This is different, how?
One material change I can think of is the codification of the CAO in the charter. The language will also underscore the CAO's role. But exactly how the Mayor-CAO role plays out will depend both on how detailed the charter is and, as Commissioner Speer pointed out, the individual style of our future elected officials.
The timing of the firing IS uncanny. And instructive. Like, we already HAVE a CAO. It isn't at all clear to me that the Charter Commission proposal is changing much of anything when it comes to the CAO, except maybe constructing layer of illusory independence for the CAO to make the proposal more acceptable to charter voters. I mean, the CAO is gonna be making big "professional" bureau management decisions, but in "consultation" with the Mayor so they don't get fired as an "at-will" employee, who will definitely have negotiated a severance package... This is different, how?
One material change I can think of is the codification of the CAO in the charter. The language will also underscore the CAO's role. But exactly how the Mayor-CAO role plays out will depend both on how detailed the charter is and, as Commissioner Speer pointed out, the individual style of our future elected officials.
Thanks for these commentaries. One correction: Wheeler was State Treasurer, not Secretary of State.
Thanks for that correction, Tim!