Six years ago, fed up with a city government that appeared to be going nine directions at once, Portland voters created the position of a full-time elected mayor.

Last year, frustrated that the city still was not coming together on policy objectives, voters turned out incumbent Mayor Michael Brennan and elected Ethan Strimling.

Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling says he needs the support of a staff member, and City Manager Jon Jennings agrees. 2015 Press Herald file photo/Whitney Hayward

Now in 2016, Strimling says he needs the support of a staff member, and City Manager Jon Jennings agrees. So do members of the City Council, including at least one, At-Large Councilor Nick Mavadones, who warned about cost creep when he fought against the creation of the elected mayor position back in 2010.

Critics will complain that a “weak” mayor with no administrative duties doesn’t need staff, but this concept deserves a try. Ideas don’t just turn into public policy without a lot of work, and the city can’t afford to have another disappointing mayoralty. Portland has too much going on to waste any more time.

In announcing the new position, which will be paid out of current savings in the city’s salary budget, Strimling made a blunder, by listing speech writing as one of the new assistant’s duties. People latched on to that idea, noting that the articulate mayor did not need anyone to tell him what to say. But while the assistant may need to draft a statement now and then, the real job is working with elected officials, city staff, residents and people outside Maine to turn the policy goals of the mayor and council into blueprints for action.

That should stop the eight councilors from running around to city departments, trying to get people who don’t work for them to do the research the councilors want to develop proposals.

Legislative leadership has staff. The governor’s office has staff. Members of Congress have staff. It’s unrealistic to believe that a mayor of a city the size of Portland can meet with all the constituencies he serves and do all the behind-the-scenes work necessary to keep everything on track.

When Portland voters approved the elected mayor idea, they were not looking for the least expensive way to run city government, but the most effective. And a more effective process is bound to be less of a burden on the taxpayers in the long run.

Giving the new mayor the support that the last mayor probably should have had is worth a try. If it doesn’t work to bring Portland forward, the city can always go back.

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