Members of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners are poised to make sweeping changes in the city’s charter, including eliminating wide-ranging powers enjoyed by former City Manager Don Brookshire.

For example, the charter now allows the manager to award, approve and execute contracts of any nature and make purchases — without the commissioners’ input — as long as those transactions don’t exceed $100,000.

This authority was among revisions approved several years ago by a previous city board when Mount Airy last altered its charter, which basically serves as a constitution for the municipality by specifying various procedures for its operation.

However, the $100,000 rule has raised eyebrows among newer commissioners, who discussed amending the charter Thursday during the first day of an annual planning retreat at Bank of America.

“There’s a lot of changes that need to be made,” Commissioner Steve Yokeley said of the document, specifically mentioning the responsibilities and duties afforded the city manager. Mount Airy now is seeking a new person for that person after Brookshire’s sudden resignation on Jan. 7.

Commissioner Jon Cawley went even further Thursday in advocating the entire removal of the section in the charter outlining the city manager’s powers and duties, which he said does not belong there.

“It did seem to me to get into a job description for the city manager,” Cawley said, based on his reading of that portion, “and gives that person some authorities that I’m uncomfortable with.”

The section in question also provides the city manager sole control over the appointment or removal of all department heads and others within the municipal administration.

Commissioner Dean Brown also believes the city charter has become outdated and requires revamping. “We need a modern charter,” said Brown, who thinks some provisions should be taken out and others added.

Two board members, Yokeley and Teresa Lewis, were appointed Thursday to serve on a committee that will study changes to the charter and report back to the full board at an unspecified date. Other commissioners’ input will be solicited during the process.

City Attorney Hugh Campbell, who has long served in that capacity, said Thursday that when the last charter revisions occurred, Brookshire had proposed certain changes that effectively expanded the scope of his authority. The commissioners in office at that time approved those provisions because they were comfortable delegating extra responsibilities to Brookshire, the attorney said.

Campbell added that allowing the manager sole authority over the hiring and dismissing of department heads is the standard for city manager forms of government such as Mount Airy’s.

Primary To Remain

One procedure officials decided to keep in the charter is the holding of primaries for candidates seeking municipal offices including mayor and commissioner seats.

Though some critics have suggested doing away with the primary elections, which cost about $10,000 each, city officials said Thursday they wanted to maintain that system. It has resulted in primaries during the last two municipal elections, including a hotly contested mayor’s race last year.

Primaries are required when more than two candidates file for a particular seat. Since Mount Airy’s elections are non-partisan, there are no party primaries.

Commissioner Todd Harris indicated Thursday that he believes the primary system is good for the democratic process as a whole.

Also, Yokeley pointed out that having all candidates for a particular office on the ballot during a general election would require runoffs in cases where the winner didn’t capture a majority of the vote. He said a runoff election would cost just as much as a primary.

As for the primary expense, Harris said, “I think in terms of our overall budget, it’s a small amount of money.”

City officials will resume their planning retreat this morning and it will conclude later today.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.