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Council orders uniform confirmation rules for department heads in charter review
Summary
After identifying inconsistent appointment/confirmation language, the council directed the Charter Revision Commission to harmonize chapter 6 so department heads are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, and added a higher confirmation threshold for some proposals.
The Committee of the Whole found inconsistent wording across chapter 6 on how department heads are chosen and whether council confirmation is required. Several council members pointed out prior practice had sometimes required council confirmation even when the current draft was silent.
After debate, the council voted to amend the draft by recommending the Commission harmonize appointment/confirmation language across chapter 6 so that mayoral appointments for department heads are subject to council confirmation. Council members also discussed whether certain appointments or removals should require a 0.667 vote; that specific higher‑threshold language will be part of the Commission’s redraft exercise.
Members asked the Commission to consider using a professional search process for certain technical positions (for example the proposed director of technology) and to ensure the charter’s language matches operational practice so the Commission’s final draft avoids inconsistent or ambiguous provisions.
