This ballot measure proposes to eliminate a directly elected mayor. You would no longer get to vote for the person in charge of the city. Instead, the city council would select one of its own to serve as mayor on a rotating basis. And the city would lose its consistent regional representation.

The council would hire a city manager who only needs to keep a majority four members of the council satisfied. With no one who can veto the actions of the City Council, there would be one less branch of government accountable to the people. Imagine congress running the country without a President!

Currently, the directly elected mayor needs to live in Port Orchard, but a city manager may not have to.

You only need to look at Bainbridge Island to see how unsettled and expensive this form of government can be. In three years, they have had three city managers. So much for consistency and efficiency.

Please join me in voting ‘“no” on Prop 1. Let’s keep our right to elect the mayor of our city.

Fred Chang | Port Orchard