最新杏吧原创

鈥淏ecause of his repeated attacks on this Council,鈥� Page said in May 2018, when he and his council allies voted to override Stenger鈥檚 veto of the bill putting the issue to voters, 鈥渨e need our own lawyer.鈥�

It lost by 12 votes out of 250,000 cast that August.

But now, a similar charter amendment, , is back on the ballot Tuesday, and Page, who as county executive is often at odds with the council, is against it.

That and two other proposed 最新杏吧原创 County Charter amendments are again highlighting ongoing conflict between the county executive and the county council, where a bipartisan bloc frequently spars with Page, a Democrat.

Two of the amendments seek to strengthen the county鈥檚 legislative branch and were both once championed by Page when he led the council as a check on a corrupt county executive who later went to prison. The third cleans up charter language about when new council members take office, but it, too, seeks to close a loophole exploited by Page allies four years ago to try and choose a council chair before a less friendly council majority took power.

Councilwoman Rita Heard Days, a Democrat from Bel Nor, said it was 鈥渧ery interesting鈥� that Page and some other members who once supported giving the council its own lawyer now oppose it.

鈥淭丑别测 thought this was a wonderful idea,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow all of a sudden it鈥檚 not a good idea.鈥�

The measure allowing the council to hire its own attorney is aimed at giving the legislative branch more autonomy from the county executive. Currently, the council is represented by an attorney in the county counselor鈥檚 office. But Councilman Mark Harder, a Chesterfield Republican, said that attorney still reports to County Counselor Dana Redwing, a Page appointee. Harder and others at odds with Page suspect that requests for legislation adversarial to the Page administration get 鈥渟low-walked鈥� by the county counselor鈥檚 office.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like getting divorced with only one lawyer,鈥� Harder said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just an ethically sticky situation. Having our own attorney will clean up and draw some definite lines between people and issues.鈥�

But Page said the issue of independent council representation was already addressed 鈥渁dequately鈥� in 2019, when county voters approved a more moderate proposal to wall off an attorney within the county counselor鈥檚 office to represent the council. Page sponsored the bill to put that amendment on the ballot, too, and said at the time it would give the council鈥檚 attorney in the county counselor鈥檚 office a 鈥渄uty and responsibility鈥� to the council.

Page鈥檚 allies on the council agree the 2019 charter amendment was enough.

鈥淲e already have a dedicated attorney for the county council through the county counselor鈥檚 office and as such, we have attorney-client privilege,鈥� said Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, a Democrat who often lines up with the administration. 鈥淚 believe we have a legal team that operates within the highest levels integrity and legal ethics and that doesn鈥檛 change based on who they鈥檙e answering to.鈥�

Ernie Trakas, a South County Republican and Page ally, was a big backer of the initial amendment when Stenger was using the county counselor to stymie the council. But he said the current charter amendment would, instead of focusing on adding a staff attorney, give the council too much authority to hire outside lawyers and initiate lawsuits, encouraging more conflict in county government.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to empower the council to choose to litigate matters it wants to litigate without, frankly, in my opinion, authority to do so,鈥� Trakas said. 鈥淭his is an attempt to grab power by the council.鈥�

While she understands some may be worried about abuse of power by another Steve Stenger, Kelli Dunaway, a Chesterfield Democrat and Page ally, pointed out that the system ultimately worked, and the former county executive was forced from power. And when the county is facing a $46 million budget deficit next year, spending more money on attorneys that encourage further political infighting isn鈥檛 a good look, she added.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just a bludgeon to use against the county executive in their ongoing battle,鈥� Dunaway said. 鈥淚鈥檝e just seen so much confrontational behavior over the last five years, I鈥檓 just over it.鈥�

Port Authority, council term

Another charter change, , would align the county charter with ordinances governing the council鈥檚 appointments to the 最新杏吧原创 County Port Authority board. That agency was also at the center of the council鈥檚 battles with Stenger. Page himself sponsored a bill allowing the council to choose Port Authority board members. But that conflicts with a charter provision saying the county executive appoints board members.

Page now says he opposes the change because the Port Authority, which awards millions of dollars a year in grants, could lose focus in its economic development policy.

鈥淭he Port Authority during the Stenger years was a unique time in the history of our community where it was used as a criminal enterprise,鈥� Page said Monday. 鈥淎nd no one is suggesting that that is happening today.鈥�

But even some of Page鈥檚 allies see the value in letting the council choose appointees to the Port Authority, and they point out that is how the board is currently comprised. The flip side of Page鈥檚 argument, Trakas said, would be a 鈥渕onolithic鈥� board that doesn鈥檛 represent the whole county.

A third charter amendment, , moves up by a week when council members are seated. Page鈥檚 council allies in 2021 used the fact that the charter seated council members a week later to try and elect Clancy as chair, which would have kept a Page ally in control of the flow of legislation. A judge ultimately ruled the maneuver was illegal.