Mount Vernon charter commission fails to adopt final report; proposed council‑manager and appointed finance officer not placed on ballot

The Mount Vernon Charter Review Commission on Wednesday, July 16, voted against adopting its final report that would have placed two charter amendments on the November 4 ballot, leaving the proposed switch to a council‑manager form of government and a move to an appointed commissioner of finance unfiled.

The commission meeting opened at 6:03 p.m. and the secretary read the two ballot questions into the record: one to create a city manager appointed by the city council (with candidates required to have at least 10 years of executive/administrative experience or a combination of a master’s‑level credential and experience, and to abide by the International City/County Management Association code of ethics) with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2028; and a second to replace the elected controller with an appointed commissioner of finance (requiring a CPA or similar credential and 7–10 years of public finance experience, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2030). The reading also stated that implementing legislation must…