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Charter committee approves eligibility, pay and removal edits; schedules public hearings for April 20 and May 11
Summary
The charter committee approved edits to charter sections on eligibility (2.02), compensation (2.05) and removal procedures (2.08), agreed to present an Article Six repeal on the ballot, and set two public hearings — April 20 and May 11 — before transmitting recommendations to city council for possible action by May 26.
The Charter Committee reviewed a package of charter edits and voted to forward several changes to city council, setting an outreach timeline that includes public hearings on April 20 and May 11 and a likely council consideration on May 26.
Committee members approved revised language for charter section 2.02 that broadens the definition of "conviction" to include a finding of guilt after trial, a guilty or nolo contendere plea regardless of sentence, suspension of sentence, or withholding of adjudication. The committee voted to transmit 2.02 to council as written.
City attorney Mr. Stokes, who walked the committee through the package, explained changes to section 2.08 that remove the council-held special hearing for removal or suspension and instead formalize notification to the governor. "The governor's general counsel takes it from there," Mr. Stokes said, and the governor "issues an order of suspension or removal at his discretion." The committee approved the 2.08 language as drafted.
On compensation, the committee approved section 2.05 as written, which would set mayoral pay at $750 per month and vice mayor and council member pay at $600 per month, with annual adjustments tied to the same cost-of-living increase given to general employees. Committee members described mixed community reaction — some said increases were overdue, while others warned the change could be a hard sell — and voted to forward the pay language to council.
The panel also agreed to strike Article Six from the charter and present a single ballot question asking whether Article Six should be repealed; struck text will be replaced in the charter with reserved language for historical reference. The attorney said the ballot question will be simple: "Shall Article Six be repealed?"
As required by the charter, the committee set two public hearings at intervals of not less than 14 days: the first public hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 20, and the second for May 11. The committee plans to transmit final recommendations to city council for consideration at the May 26 council meeting, subject to publication-notice timing and calendar conflicts.
Votes at a glance: 2.02 (eligibility) — approved by the committee and forwarded to council; 2.05 (compensation) — approved and forwarded; 2.08 (removal procedure) — approved and forwarded; Article Six repeal language — approved and forwarded. The committee adopted the modified meeting schedule and adjourned.
The committee did not resolve any changes to the timing of council action beyond the earliest possible council date discussed; publication and scheduling details remain subject to the clerk's coordination.
