More from Allan Cameron: The idea that the job of City Councilmember in a City like Santa Clarita is some kind of part time advisory position is a cruel fiction. When I was researching the issue of what it really meant to have a City in the early and mid 80's, the laziest Councilmember I found, out of the dozens I visited, spent 30 hours a week on their Council job. To serve their citizens, good councilmembers work at it 40 to 50 to 60 or more hours each week. Doing it less simply means the job isn't getting done as well as the responsibilties demand.

To work 60 or more hours a week as a councilmember limits anyone's ability to have some other job. This means that many thoughtful people who would make outstanding public servants never will even try. A City council position should pay a decent living wage, so that more good people can serve, and all those that do can do their city council jobs without distraction. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I was pleased and honored to be one of the 15 members of the Santa Clarita City Formation Committee Steering Committee.

City Formation is still a work in progress If anyone wishes, please feel free to send me an email at ac_cdc@msn.com. (the symbol between ac, and cdc in the email address is an underscore symbol/mark)