Tacoma City Council members serve in a part-time capacity, with the exception of the mayor. As such, they do not have staff assigned to them, as is the case with Seattle City Council and Pierce County Council.
In recent years, the workload for council members has increased with the establishment of committees, with all their related meetings and research. Council members are expected to put in countless appearances at local events. Since Eric Anderson became city manager, he has stressed the need for them to spend more time in Washington, D.C. interacting with officials from federal agencies and members of our state’s Congressional delegation.
The need for people to assist council members in some capacity is apparent. Anderson has addressed this in a manner that makes sense considering the city’s current staffing structure.
One of his main innovations since arriving in 2005 is “management fellows.” These are young adults who have completed course work for a master’s degree in public administration. Depending on the university they attend, some arrive with their degrees, while others are required to work for a specific period of time to receive their degree.
They are willing to accept less pay than what they might make elsewhere to get valuable experience in a municipal government in a large city. A few have been hired on as full-time employees, while others pursue career opportunities elsewhere.
Their relationships with the council have been expanded recently, and council members have been briefed on what the fellows will and will not do. They follow up on complaints or concerns expressed by constituents.
Some e-mails sent to council members are now sent along to the fellows, who are at city hall five days a week. This is important with part-time council members, who cannot always divert their full attention to communicating with constituents. Now e-mails can be read and reacted to in a faster manner. They keep a record of progress made on these matters.
A full-time staff designated just for the council is not likely to happen in the near future. Having three management fellows splitting some of their work duties between nine council members is an appropriate manner of addressing this need at city hall.
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