Home Rule Charter review panel recommends shrinking Clinton council to five and other governance changes

Dave Vickers, chair of the Home Rule Charter Review Commission, presented the commission’s unanimous report to the Clinton City Council Committee of the Whole, summarizing proposed changes to the city’s Home Rule Charter. The commission recommended reducing the city council from seven members to five and electing them at-large; clarifying the mayor as the chief elected executive and the primary communication conduit to the city administrator; creating a citizens’ compensation advisory board to recommend elected-official pay; and lowering the minimum signatures required to initiate charter petitions from 1,500 to 1,000. “We cannot be mere consumers of good governance,” said Vickers, reading a quotation he used to frame the work: “We must be participants. We must be cocreators.” Legal counsel Pat O’Connell told the committee that a change to the council’s composition is controlled by state statute and must be enacted by petition and election: “372.1311 a of the code states that if you wanna switch the composition of the council, you have to do that by petition and election.” The commission noted other technical updates: harmonizing charter language with current city code (for example, using “city administrator” consistently rather than “manager”), removing a charter spending-limit provision because the city code now covers it, and clarifying roles and communication expectations among the mayor, city administrator, and council. Commissioners said the recommendations aim to improve government efficiency and broaden the pool of candidates; the commission cited falling turnout and many unopposed elections as rationale. Several council members and residents raised concerns about representation if the city moves to all at-large seats, particularly for Ward 1 residents. Robert Bettsinger, introducing himself from the audience, urged caution and noted Ward 1’s lower voter turnout and socioeconomic differences. A resident who identified herself as Celeste, also from Ward 1, said she favored the ward system because it gives residents “someone you can familiarize yourself with, that’s gonna advocate for those specific situations.” Commissioners and councilors discussed procedural options should the council choose to act: the council can amend the charter by ordinance for many proposed changes, but composition changes require citizen petitions and an election under the statute cited by counsel. The commission recommended that council allow the proposals to “simmer,” solicit public input, and return the matter to another Committee of the Whole meeting (the council set a tentative follow-up for Oct. 14). No council ordinance or formal charter amendment was approved at this meeting; the commission’s report was informational and carries the unanimous endorsement of the commission.