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Commission backs sending question to remove referendum requirement for large city property sales to voters
Summary
Item e would remove a charter requirement that voters approve sales, transfers or leases of city-owned real property valued over $750,000; supporters said it would enable public–private partnerships and quicker redevelopment, opponents warned it strips voter protections.
Item e would remove a charter provision requiring voter approval by referendum for sale, transfer, gift, trade or lease of city-owned real property with a fair market value in excess of $750,000, with limited exceptions. Supporters said the current provision unnecessarily constrains redevelopment and public–private partnerships, noting that the charter's threshold forces referenda in situations where bond or P3 financing might make a project feasible without major taxpayer cost.
Commissioner Shanitzky strongly opposed the removal. He cited past settlements and long-term county landfill arrangements to argue voters need protections: "If the citizens don't have this protection, what is in the charter right now, that means, realistically, any land that's in the city could be made into a landfill," he warned. The commission indicated a majority would advance the question to voters; the matter will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot if approved on second reading and certified.
