Eudora mayor encouraging residents to abandon current form of government

By Lisa D'Souza on October 3, 2012

The mayor of Eudora is asking residents to abandon their current form of government.

Eudora mayor Scott Hopson says a new governing system would make city leaders more effective and he's asking Eudora residents to approve that change on November 6th.

Nine months ago, Eudora's City Council began talks to change its government from five city council members and a mayor to five commissioners.

On November 6th, Eudora residents will either vote YES to abandon the city's current governing system or NO to keep it.

Eudora mayor scott hopson says a change will make the city's governing body more effective.

And he's got the support of City Administrator John Harrenstein.

"The city council believes and that is why they put it on the ballot that that form of government and that form of governing the city of Eudora will get the results that they are hearing from citizens," Harrenstein said.

Hopson says community members will be better served and taxpayers will have one less person to pay by switching the system.

The change will allow a different commissioner to hold the mayor position each year, similar to the Lawrence system.

"Transitioning the mayor from being in sort of separate from the governing body and simply managing the meetings and having minor executive controls to actually integrating him into the policy making team of the city commission," Hopson said.

The city plans to explain the change in a letter to residents later this month because once they're in the voting booth, poll workers aren't allowed to explain the ballot item.

Douglas County Clerk, Jamie Shew, says its important for voters to research the question beforehand.

"If we do that, we get into where we're making a judgement or something like that so the big deal is that people are informed about it before they go in and understand what a vote yes and a vote no means," Shew said.

If the change is not adopted, two council members and a mayor will be elected, if it is, only the two council members positions will be up for a vote.