Did you know Cave Creek councilmembers cannot have requested items put on the Town Council meeting Agenda without the mayor’s consent? In 2017, a council vote, led by then Mayor Ernie Bunch, stripped councilmembers of this basic council function. Previously any two councilmembers could request items be placed on the agenda.
The rule read, SHALL be placed, now it reads MAY be placed and gives sole authority to the mayor to make that decision. This single word change makes a world of difference. Now, one person, Mayor Bob Morris, controls what will be discussed publicly at council meetings.
Mayor Morris knows people are unhappy with this agenda rule. On April 4, at the Candidate’s Debate, he said, “It’s one of the few powers that our mayor has, because I just have one vote like everyone else has”. He goes on, “but I’m not going to give up my powers as mayor because they’re so limited”.
What about the power of persuasion? He also said, “all it takes is two council people to get together and they can put it on, do you know how many times that’s happened in my year and a half?… zero”. That’s not true. Council members have asked to have items placed on the agenda only to have Mayor Morris deny the request.
If residents cannot have items important to their lives placed on the council agenda by their representatives wit out the mayor’s approval, are we truly represented? Agenda control is control of everything in Cave Creek. Debate Video Link: https://youtu.be/tH4xcoKiP0M Candidate for Mayor, Jim Grubb, has pledged to help change the Agenda Rule back to how it was, and to have open discussions with councilmembers and residents. But that will only happen if Jim Grubb is elected mayor on July 30th.
David L. Phelps
Cave Creek
