The bill proposes an amendment to the City's Charter that would establish a Charter Commission to consider and recommend amendments and revisions to the voters on a decennial basis following the census or upon initiative by the qualified voters of the City as provided in the bill.

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Mar 26, 2023

Anyone have any big thoughts on the charter reform bill?

walker wrote: ↑

Mar 27, 2023

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Mar 26, 2023

Anyone have any big thoughts on the charter reform bill?

We desperately need some changes made to our city charter. This commission formation proposition gets us part way there.

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Mar 27, 2023

^ you can make changes without this but its single subject changes that alders have to put on a ballot or voters submit signatures 

and no

flipz wrote: ↑

Mar 27, 2023

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Mar 27, 2023

^ you can make changes without this but its single subject changes that alders have to put on a ballot or voters submit signatures 

and no

Oh so they are trying to bypass voters. Sounds like a power grab then? I'd rather not let them do whatever they want. 

I'm hoping with the smaller board they will get some things done. 

• E&A “Heavy” Reform: Abolish the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, eliminate the Office of Comptroller as an elected office and reassign the Comptroller’s responsibilities to a newly created Director of Finance under Mayoral authority, alter the City’s budget process empowering the Board of Aldermen to increase the budget, and newly create an Office of Public Advocate lead by an elected Public Advocate;
• Standalone Public Advocate: Newly create an Office of Public Advocate led by an elected Public Advocate – even if E&A “Heavy” Reform does not advance – that responds to complaints regarding city services and is supported by a legal department with subpoena power that is separate and independent from the City Counselor’s Office;
• Standalone Board of Aldermen Enhanced Budget Authority: Empower the Council with authority to increase budgetary amounts even if E&A “Heavy” Reform does not advance;
• Department of Transportation: Newly create a Department of Transportation;
• Mayoral Appointments: Newly allow the Mayor to directly appoint the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Personnel Director as well as identify other Mayoral appointments of department heads in Article VIII;
• Revamp City Voting: Change the timing of general municipal elections from April to November of even years and primaries to August, increase the notice requirements, expand permitted publications of election notices, lower the threshold for signatures on initiatives petitions, newly require approval voting for all County offices except the Circuit Attorney, and rename the “Board of Aldermen” to the “City Council[;]”; and 
• Modernize Charter Language: Make specific, global changes to Charter language to convert pronouns to titles of offices, update methods of advertisement, remove obsolete language, reflect modern titles of offices and officers, and provide for compensation to be set by ordinance. 

TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 wrote:Ugh, this was actually a great idea. One day of people yelling all it took…