Pro: Prop D would create accountability On June 8, San Diego voters will have an important opportunity to advance common-sense reform in our financially troubled city government by voting “yes” on Proposition D. Prop D would enhance accountability at City Hall by making the strong mayor/strong council form of government permanent. This form of government creates clear roles and responsibilities. The mayor would serve as head of the executive branch, overseeing management of city departments day-to-day. The City Council would serve as an independent legislative branch, formulating policy, making appropriations and conducting oversight. In 2004, voters approved a trial experiment in this form of government. Unless Prop D is passed, that trial would end — and the city would revert back to the outdated and discredited city manager form of government where there is little accountability or balance. Prop D does not just make permanent the strong mayor/strong council form of government. It makes significant improvements to how San Diego achieves that form of government. By giving the mayor a real veto, subject only to override by a two-thirds vote of the City Council, Prop D will bring important checks and balances to city government. With a real veto, the mayor will be able to check the parochial spending desires of each individual city councilmember. This system of government provides balance in another important way. The mayor, who is elected citywide, would run the executive branch while city councilmembers — elected by each individual council district — would run the legislature. San Diegans need to have both perspectives represented in their government and Prop D accomplishes this. Proposition D adds a ninth seat to the City Council to allow for a simple two-thirds vote for a veto override. While opponents of Prop D complain that the addition of a ninth City Council seat would cost money, adding a ninth seat will help ensure that important smaller neighborhoods continue to get a voice as the city’s population grows. The ninth seat can also be added without increased costs if we commit to splitting the existing individual council budgets up equitably. I have joined with Councilmember Kevin Faulconer to sponsor legislation that ensures a new council seat will be “cost neutral” in the city’s budget. Prop D would also prevent a return to the days when city bureaucrats were allowed to negotiate costly labor contracts with other city bureaucrats. Under the old city manager form of government, labor negotiations would be conducted by unelected city bureaucrats who personally benefit from the labor contracts they negotiate. This conflict of interest would be eliminated by Prop D — with the mayor serving as the city’s lead negotiator in labor negotiations. San Diego is still reeling from bad decisions made in city labor contracts that spiked pension benefits, increased salaries and awarded other costly perks. We should not go back to the form of government that facilitated those bad decisions. If Prop D does not pass, taxpayers will face higher city spending on a number of fronts. If the city returned to a city manager form of government, a duplicative bureaucracy would have to be created and added back into the city’s organizational structure. San Diego needs to make a number of reforms to restore its financial health and get back to providing the kinds of services our neighborhoods deserve. Prop D is one of those important reforms that voters should make on June 8. — Carl DeMaio represents District 5 as a member of the City Council. Con: League opposes Prop D as bad for San Diego Election Day is just around the corner.  On June 8, voters will be deciding the fate of Proposition D — making permanent the strong mayor form of government.  Prop D is the controversial ballot measure that increases the size and cost of city government and turns our temporary strong-mayor system into a permanent form of governance for San Diego.  The League of Women Voters recommends a NO vote on Prop D.  Why? Proposition D would make the strong mayor the permanent form of governance in San Diego. Unfortunately, it goes much further than that.  Prop D would also increase the size and cost of city government by requiring the creation of an additional council district and all that goes with it: additional office space, staff, salaries, pensions, benefits and a ninth City Council member.  We’re asking you to ask yourself: does it make sense to expand San Diego city government when the city is flat broke — when road repairs, street maintenance, libraries, parks, lifeguards, police, firefighters and too many other neighborhood services are on the chopping block?  Is this the time to create bigger and more expensive government? To help you make an informed choice, we encourage you to go to the League website at www.lwvsandiego.org. You’ll find an eye-opening report on the underside of our five-year experience with a strong mayor form of government, as well as background information on Proposition D.  You’ll also get a startling look at the “who’s who” of financial supporters of Prop D.  After reading it, I think you’ll agree with the LWV that our city can’t afford Prop D — not financially, and not if you value the standards of good government espoused by the LWV. The LWV doesn’t have access to the hundreds of thousands of dollars accumulated by the special-interest supporters of Prop D to get the word out. Instead, we’re counting on neighbors telling neighbors, friends e-mailing friends and everyone else willing to stand up for good government in San Diego to vote NO on Prop D. – Norma Damashek, co-president, San Diego League of Women Voters