Kaysen: Let The Voters Decide City Government

Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen says he thinks any decision about changing Cheyenne's city government should be made by the voters, not just the city council.

Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen has been calling for a change in city government from the current situation in which the elected mayor makes most day to day decisions to one in which an appointed administrator would assume those duties.

Kaysen says that while under state law the city council could mandate such a change without a public vote, he thinks the decision is too important to leave the voters out of the equation.

Steenbergen has likewise called for a vote of the people rather than a council mandate on the issue.

While Kaysen has not publicly taken a stand for or against the city administrator proposal, he does say that several Wyoming communities which have gone to a city administrator or city manager are now reconsidering the issue.

The mayor recently also raised concerns about the cost of a city administrator, saying such a person typically makes a salary of around $150, 000 per year. Kaysen says the administrator also usually has an assistant, which would add to the cost.

Supporters of the city administrator idea say it would make city government more efficient and possibly more business friendly. The also say such a move would "remove politics" from important city decisions.

Opponents dislike the idea of having a person running the city who wouldn't be accountable to the voters. Some opponents also are concerned the administrator would end up being a tool of "special interest" groups such as the chamber or a faction of the city council.