VOTE ON RETENTION OF CITY OFFICIALS FAILS

The Cape Girardeau Charter Review Committee narrowly voted against recommending that the city's top non-elected administrators face a retention vote every four years.

In a 4-3 vote last month, the committee rejected the idea of having voters decide whether to retain the city manager, assistant city manager and six to 12 other top administrators. The latter category could have included the police and fire chiefs, committee members said.

The proposal by Cape Girardeau lawyer and committee member O.J. Gibson Jr. called for dismissing any of those city employees who failed to win voter approval. It also stipulated that such employees couldn't be employed again by the city without voter approval.

Gibson refused to comment Saturday about the proposal.

Committee member Loretta Schneider supported the retention-vote measure. The goal, she said, was to make city administrative personnel accountable to the public.

"Sometimes the government gets away from the will of the people," said Schneider, a former council member.

"I would like to see our government work the way it is supposed to work and have a professional city manager who is trained in city government."

But a majority of the committee members at the Aug. 29 meeting opposed the idea of a retention election.

Committee member Peter Bergerson dismissed the idea as "ludicrous," saying it would have turned city administrative personnel into politicians.

He said the suggestion reflects public distrust of bureaucrats.

Committee Chairman Paul Stehr said the retention-vote plan would have led to a chaotic situation in city government.