Weekly Volcano

Julie Anderson set to fill Manthou's shoes

By weeklyvolcano on January 2, 2009

MATT DRISCOLL: NEW DEPUTY MAYOR IN TOWN >>>

Julie Anderson As is customary at the first Tacoma City Council meeting of the year, this coming Tuesday, Jan. 6, council member Julie Anderson will almost certainly be elected Deputy Mayor for 2009 â€" that is, unless something completely unexpected happens and Baarsma and CO. vote down a resolution that would grant Anderson the job, or if Spiro Manthou â€" out of despair from losing the position â€" wraps Anderson in bacon and devours her with a nice glass of red wine.

The Weekly Volcano assumes neither far fetched possibility will happen â€" though we do know that everything tastes better with bacon.

Once Anderson takes over for Manthou as Deputy Mayor, for the rest of the year she’ll be in charge of filling in for Baarsma when the mayor has stayed up too late playing Halo and is unable to attend a council meeting. (Unless, of course, she actually gets that Auditor gig.) As Deputy Mayor Anderson will be known as the “presiding officer,” in City Council Rules of Procedure terms, and in Baarsma’s absence she’ll be in charge of:

1. Preserving order and decorum in the Council Chambers;

2. Observing and enforcing all rules adopted by the Council for its government;

3. Deciding all questions on order, in accordance with these rules, subject to appeal by any member to the Council; and

4. Recognizing members of the Council in the order in which they request the floor. No member shall be recognized and given the floor to speak on the same matter more than once until after all other members of the Council have had an opportunity to be recognized and be heard.

5. Retaining the authority, during Public Comment and Citizens’ Forum, to determine whether a speaker’s remarks fail to comply with these Rules or exceed the scope of the designated forums, and the presiding officer shall have the authority to suspend such person’s right to speak, subject to the Council’s right to overrule such decision.

6. (Lesser known duty) Making sure Rick Talbert gets a good look at the Traveller’s balls next time he decides to disrobe at a council meeting.