Agenda - Charter Commission - 11/29/2001

Home

have to trust our elected officials. We all have a right to make a living however we choose. Commissioner Deemer stated that the majority should rule. We would change it to a simple majority for the Comp Plan. The number with a seven-member Council would be four out of the seven. He added that the Commission is only making a recommendation to put this in front of the voters to see if they want this change. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Vogt, Councilmembers Milless, Bertzyk, Childs, Deemer, and LaMere. Abstain, Commissioners Ebel and Swanson. Voting No: Commissioner Henke. Case #3: Consider 2000 Election Advisory Question, Dealing with Majority Turnover Eve~ Two Years Mr. Terry Hendriksen, 15631 Ramsey Boulevard NW, Ramsey, representing the Ramsey Residents for Responsible Government, stated that he requested this case be on the Charter Commission's agenda. He stated that he has authored three Charte~ amendments and briefly summarized them. He referred to the last election'where the advisory question relating to having the majority of Council turn over every two years and 6,347 people yes with 1,799 voting no. Mr. Hendriksen suggested that with that large a number voting in favor of the mai ority turnover, that this needs to be considered. He disseminated a draft of a Charter amendment, that would accomplish electing the majority of the Council in every election. (Exhibit C) He pointed out that several thousand people said they would like to vote for a majority of their Council every two years but there was less than 400 votes between the passing of the Mayor being elected to a four-year term. Mr. Hendriksen stated he would like to put his amendment on the ballot next to the Charter's suggested amendment and let the citizens decide. Commissioner Deemer stated that he agreed with Mr. Hendriksen. The Commission did discuss this majority and the only option left open to the Commission legally was to change the Mayor's term and we chose as a majority not to do that. Mr. Hendriksen stated that's not what the citizens wanted. The citizens want their elected officials on a short leash. You have said we do not want to change the Mayor's term. I just wanted to call to your attention how close that vote was and how large the number was for the majority elected. Commissioner Milless felt a the question going to the voters should be a simple, easy-to- understand question. She disseminated a question written up two different ways for discussion. (Exhibits D and E) City Attorney Goodrich pointed out that Mr. Hendriksen is proposing a Charter amendment and Commissioner Milless is proposing that the Commission recommend to the City Council that they place an advisory question on the ballot. Mr. Hendriksen stated that he is not in favor of a ward system but he is willing to accept it- should it be voted in but the citizens should have an opportunity to vote on the majority turnover also. The Mayor's term would change back to two years with election 2004. -8- Charter Commission - September 6, 2001 Page 8 of 11