Charter Review Committee forwards council'submitted amendment list back to City Council, asks for prioritization

Chairman Greg Shelton said the Charter Review Committee would send the City Council'compiled list of proposed charter amendments back to the council for prioritization and asked staff to return guidance on legal and election limits.

The committee's action came after roughly an hour of discussion about how to package proposals for voters, potential conflicts of interest for committee members, and requests for cost and legal estimates on items such as special elections, procurement thresholds and council pay. The committee approved a motion to forward the list with an amendment to label the unnumbered item between 17 and 18 as "17a" and to ask the council to prioritize the items before the committee begins detailed drafting.

Why it matters: The committee is the citizen body charged with reviewing the city charter and preparing suggested amendments for voter consideration. How measures are worded and grouped can affect voter understanding and whether proposals survive legal review and pass at the ballot.

Discussion and committee direction

Members debated several practical questions before voting. Committee members and staff said they want the council'provided list narrowed to a short set of priorities (the committee discussed asking the council for five or six top priorities) so the committee can focus research and drafting time on those items. Members raised concerns about ballot-language length limits and the state elections code, consolidation of duplicative measures, and whether proposed changes could pose conflicts of interest for members who work in affected fields.

The committee asked staff to send the list to the city manager and city attorney, and to request guidance from the Registrar of Voters on: (1) the word/phrase limits for ballot questions; (2) the feasibility of presenting alternative amounts or consolidated options; and (3) cost estimates for holding special elections when an item would require one.

Public comment and cost concerns

During oral communications, Brock Neely urged caution about items that would trigger special elections and raised broader constitutional and cost concerns. Neely told the committee, "The only people that can issue any kind of gold or silver coinage or money is the Federal Reserve, period," and said a change to a strong-mayor system would be expensive: "I estimate the cost would be about $6,100,000 a year" to staff a full-time mayor.

Committee members and staff also cited policy specifics raised in the packet: one proposed amendment would increase the city procurement threshold from $5,000 to at least $10,000; other items would change council compensation language and reimbursement authorities that are currently in the charter.

Formal action and next steps

Chairman Greg Shelton made the motion to send the compiled list back to the City Council with the requested change to number the unnumbered item as 17a and to ask the council to prioritize items; the motion was seconded and carried in a roll-call vote. The committee recorded yea votes during the roll call from Committee Member Salah, Committee Member Adina and Chairman Greg Shelton; the chair announced the motion passed.

Committee members said they will wait for the council's prioritized shortlist and for the city attorney and registrar of voters to return legal and procedural guidance before drafting final ballot language. A follow-up staff memo and possible agenda item to present draft language were discussed; the committee plans to reconvene after receiving the council's priorities and the requested guidance.

Ending

The committee adjourned after the vote. Members said they will monitor the City Council docket and will offer oral comments at a council meeting if the council places the list on its agenda, so the committee can clarify its intended next steps and any requested scope for drafting amendment language.