Geneva City Council’s “special meeting” to get “clarity on Council priorities” is now posted to YouTube with a three-hour runtime. It raises more questions than it answers.

At the start of their term, Council hired a facilitator to help them prioritize their work. They chose an excellent person from Livingston County with a proven track record of fiscal management and success.

Early on it was clear he had his work cut out for him. Councilor Pealer said city councilors are just “short term” and therefore it was really staff that should do the long-term thinking. The mayor agreed, even though Pealer is in his fifth year on Council and the mayor has served three times as long. A “we’re just here to watch for a little while” attitude is not accepted best practice, doesn’t track with how long guys stay on Council, and runs contrary to the City Charter.

Council’s domain is supposed to be vision, expectations, and budget. Staff’s domain is supposed to be the detailed workplan and budget management that moves us toward the vision. Both are supposed to operate from a forward-looking perspective on long-term objectives. (Condolences to the family of Mr. Quartaro, a staff member whose........

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