Antioch leaders are considering placing a measure on the June ballot asking voters if they want to do away with having an elected mayor.

East Contra Costa's largest city has directly elected its mayor for nearly four decades. First-term Mayor Jim Davis is up for re-election this November.

But with Antioch leaders facing a host of issues, former councilwoman Martha Parsons suggested at a recent City Council meeting that the city consider changing its process, given the city's murky financial situation and public safety shortcomings.

"Now is the time for problem-solving, not politics," said Parsons, who refers to campaign time as "silly season."

"If the mayor is running — and I've heard (Councilman) Gary Agopian is running and (former Mayor) Don Freitas is running -- there's going to be a lot of posturing," Parsons said. "We don't need that with everything that's going on. It's time we put all our focus toward working together."

Councilmembers say they are open to the idea of putting it on the ballot.

"I found it rather curious that she brought it up two weeks before the ballot, but I'm in favor of letting the voters weigh in," Agopian said. "It isn't so much the process as making sure the best people are elected for the job."

"I think it can provide some new blood and new ideas," adds Councilwoman Mary Rocha, a former mayor. "A new person coming in each year can have one or two areas they want to focus

Davis agrees.

"It makes some sense and is worth talking about," Davis said. "Other cities like Concord and Walnut Creek have rotating mayors and seem to be successful."

With a city manager handling the day-to-day operations, there is not necessarily a need for a strong mayor, he said.

It also could lead to more people wanting to get involved in public service, Davis said.

Freitas, Antioch's mayor from 2000 to 2008, however, says the city needs an elected mayor so it has a strong voice regionally on issues such as transportation, land planning and water quality.

"(Electing the mayor) holds the official accountable and has more benefits than costs," Freitas said. "Every city that has voted for a strong mayor has benefitted."

Further, Freitas said the mayoral rotation can lead to politics between councilmembers over position.

Several councilmembers said an elected mayor acts as a more recognizable figure for the public.

Fourteen of the 19 cities in Contra Costa County rotate their mayor's position on a yearly basis. The county's Board of Supervisors also rotates who leads the meetings every year.

Antioch, Brentwood, Richmond, Martinez and San Ramon elect their mayors.

The two Contra Costa cities larger than Antioch offer differ set-ups. Richmond switched to an elected mayor in the mid-1980s. Concord opted for a rotating mayoral position a decade later.

If Antioch chooses to put the measure on the June ballot, it would receive a discount. Because the city is putting on an $100,000 ballot measure about the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions, a second measure would only cost 25 cents per voter, or about $10,000, City Manager Jim Jakel said.

Contact Paul Burgarino at 925-779-7164. Follow him at Twitter.com/paulburgarino.