Charter review would be the perfect time to act grown up

It has been a few years since the Troy City Charter underwent thorough scrutiny. Anyone who pays attention to governance, or the lack of it, in our fair city will recall what a political snipe-fest that venture turned into.

Last year, Mayor Lou Rosamilia suggested a review of the document that enumerates how government shall work in Troy. That went nowhere, but here it is again -- in an election year.

Given Troy's history under both Democrat and Republican administrations, my fear is that the people appointed to a charter review commission will be a politically-selected group. What they should be is pretty much apolitical -- i.e., defined as someone "not interested or involved in politics." Note that does not say "not interested in the good of the community."

Human nature being what it is, it may be difficult to find people with no political leanings, but  difficulty is no excuse for giving in to partisan interests -- to the detriment of the city's reputation in the Capital Region, which for years has been one of a hotbed of foolish bickering and unproductive in-fighting.

With some effort, it should not be difficult in a city of some 50,000 residents to find a representative group who bring a solid mix of experience in leadership, business experience, planning and community service, as well as some demonstrated intelligence, to such a delicate and far-reaching chore -- one that will guide the City no matter which political party is in power.

A good place not to begin is with the voter registration roles to see what parties potential commission members favor. Political skirmishes are fleeting things. A charter is an enduring document that affects businesses, municipal services and residents alike.

Many onlookers will be looking intensely at who the powers-that-be come up with. I, for one, fervently hope it will not be a repeat of the embarrassing 2008 situation. That was when then-Mayor Harry Tutunjian, a Republican, and the Democrat-controlled City Council appointed dueling commissions because they couldn't agree on the best path to serve the city. It was a ridiculous display of amateurism that took a ruling by the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court to decide that a mayoral commission takes precedence.

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• The City Charter as it currently stands can be accessed by clicking here.

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