Charter commission goes, "off the rails"

[mam2009]

http://m.freep.com/opinion/article?a...0523031&f=1237

I cant believe its acceptable to decrease the size of the legislative body of the City but increase the size of Police Commission?

[kraig]

http://m.freep.com/opinion/article?a...0523031&f=1237

I cant believe its acceptable to decrease the size of the legislative body of the City but increase the size of Police Commission?

I'll take this over City Council's selfish attempt at trying to expand the Legislative Body to eleven. Besides, the cost to fund an additional police commissioner is peanuts when compared to the cost of funding an additional council member.

It's unfortunate that future Council Members will have to suffer, but, this is all happening due to the incompetence of the past three Councils. The people are fed up with these do nothing Council Members.

[BrushStart]

I don't know what to think of this... What are the pros and cons to having a smaller council?

[FreepOpinion]

The Freep Opinion page is scheduled to hold a chat with a couple members of the Charter Commission Tuesday at noon. Please join the chat to discuss this issue. If you can't make it, come back to see what they had to say. www.freepopinion.com.

[thecarl]

BrushStart, here's a factor...for example...as to one of the pro's of reducing the size of city council:

Originally Published: July 15, 2010 9:42 AM Modified: July 15, 2010 2:23 PM
Detroit City Council approves staff contracts, pay raises
By Associated Press

The Detroit City Council has approved contracts and raises that will pay some staffers as much as $90,000.

At least 38 contracts or raises were approved Wednesday afternoon. Most run through June 30, 2011 and come at a time when Mayor Dave Bing is threatening layoffs in an effort to cut expenses and a legacy budget deficit of $85 million or more.

Council members defended the pay for staffers, saying they don't receive benefits or pensions.

Salaries are paid from each council member's yearly budget of more than $700,000.

A contract for one legislative assistant to Councilwoman Brenda Jones tops out at $18,800. Ken Cockrel Jr.'s senior policy adviser will make $84,000, while an attorney will earn $90,000 as James Tate's legislative assistant.

[thecarl]

Oh, and then the cost to televise them...you know, as a much-needed public service!

[Det_ard]

http://m.freep.com/opinion/article?a...0523031&f=1237

I cant believe its acceptable to decrease the size of the legislative body of the City but increase the size of Police Commission?

Not that the police commission is unimportant, but city council is clearly more important. The message I'm getting is that the pool for competent elected officials is so shallow that the important posts need to be reduced in number to prevent dilution by name-recognizable assclowns.

I'd like to see a do-nothing board of 50 or 100 self-important doofuses that the CAY II's, the Reeve's, the Reverend Murray's could populate that would pay them enough to make it worth their while to pursue the office, while insulating the city from their idiocy. Call it something impressive like The Detroit Executive Strategy Board and make them all Vice-Presidents. If it cost $25 million a year to put the knuckleheads in isolation its worth it if it lets the competent people get down to business.

[lilpup]

Seven council members is plenty. With five districts and two at-large I think that's a great ratio for representation.

[Hermod]

Divide the city into 100 councilmanic districts. Elect 100 councilmen/women. Give them a paid staff of eight clerk-typists and two receptionists/telephone answerers for all 1oo members. Each councilman/woman gets a small desk in a six by six cubicle. They are paid $100 per council meeting.

[Bham1982]

A smaller council would be a cheaper council.

And the population-per-councilmember counts wouldn't be that different from other cities. NYC would actually have about twice the residents per councilmember, and I never heard anyone say their districts are too big.

Seems like an idea worth exploring, and would be a small part of overall necessary downsizing.

[firstandten]

Why do we need any at-large councilpeople ? Can't we just have 7 districts ?

[English]

I think that seven councilmembers, with five districts and two at-large, is just fine. Most of the objectors really seem to want aldermen and a ward system, which isn't where the Charter Commission seems to be going.

If the majority wants to retain nine, I'm fine with that. But I am strongly opposed to increasing the number on the Council unless we want to go to a part-time CC. We just don't have the money.

[mam2009]

http://m.freep.com/opinion/article?a...0523031&f=1237

I cant believe its acceptable to decrease the size of the legislative body of the City but increase the size of Police Commission?

I guess what I was trying to say was the Charter Commission could at least be consistent. I didn't think the Charter Commission's primary reason for the decrease in members had to do with the costs associated with the body. Their job is to improve the way City Government functions. While, they can consider the potential financial impact of their decisions, making decisions primarily on the basis of cost is a legislative [[City Council) or executive [[Mayoral) function. My understanding was that the decrease in population was the impetus for the change. And if our population can be served by seven City Council members, why can't it be served by seven police commission members?

[Detroitnerd]

There's no way to prove that a smaller council would be a cheaper council, as they set their own budgets. A larger council is more representative, as they would represent districts of, say 60,000 people instead of 100,000.

[Hypestyles]

back when the charter comm. was having public comment, I mailed them a number of proposals. among them included a part time council with part-time hours and part time pay.

I hope the districts come ASAP, time for drastic change..

[mam2009]

back when the charter comm. was having public comment, I mailed them a number of proposals. among them included a part time council with part-time hours and part time pay.

I hope the districts come ASAP, time for drastic change..

The volume of contracts, building demolitions, zoning changes, etc that they have to approve each week makes a part-time Council impractical. If you think getting a contract approved under the current system takes too long, whew!

[kraig]

The volume of contracts, building demolitions, zoning changes, etc that they have to approve each week makes a part-time Council impractical. If you think getting a contract approved under the current system takes too long, whew!

All of which can be handled at the sub committee meeting and then at the formal session. Besides, I've had contracts with the City before, the hold up is with the process of the contract going through at least five departments before it even reaches City Council, which wouldn't be effected by the going part-time. You've pointed out before that you used to work for City Council, some of us suspect that you still do, so I'm sure you're aware of the process. As it stands now, they normally only meet on three days [[tues,wed,thurs) anyway. The last two body's have met less than any other body in the past thirty years, they're already working part time, pay them that way.

[Hypestyles]

so, will things finally get settled to a final proposal in the fall?

[mam2009]

http://m.freep.com/opinion/article?a...0523031&f=1237

I cant believe its acceptable to decrease the size of the legislative body of the City but increase the size of Police Commission?

Well, I guess they got back on track?

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...t-constitution

[brizee]

"Empowering the city's law department to determine ways to address residents' auto and property insurance needs with a city-owned system."

Very relevant to my interests.

[BagAJellyDonuts]

— Authorizing City Council to confirm mayoral appointments for heads of key departments, including fire, police, human resources and corporation counsel.
— Incorporating green initiatives and recycling as part of city planning.
— Empowering the city's law department to determine ways to address residents' auto and property insurance needs with a city-owned system.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110528/...#ixzz1Nk7LP6ra

Good luck

[mam2009]

— Authorizing City Council to confirm mayoral appointments for heads of key departments, including fire, police, human resources and corporation counsel.
— Incorporating green initiatives and recycling as part of city planning.
— Empowering the city's law department to determine ways to address residents' auto and property insurance needs with a city-owned system.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110528/...#ixzz1Nk7LP6ra

Good luck

I think the entire Charter revision process was an extremely well run process. I salute the leadership of Chairman Jenice Mitchell-Ford, the wisdom of Commissioner Clara Blount, the astuteness and persistence of Commissioner Tonya Myers-Phillips and the committment of all of the commissioners who regularly attended meetings and provided valuable perspectives -- not sure what happened to Commissioner Rose Mary Robinson along the way [[I voted for her, but she didn't make the kind of impact I hoped for. Only saw her at one of the 6 or so meetings I attended.). Nevertheless, I think the revisions overall will benefit the City immensely. Some less substantive changes probably didn't get fleshed out well & seem to have just been thrown in to appease certain fringe interest groups but it doesnt seem they'll cause any harm. Well done, Charter Revision Commission!

Since I haven't seen the final draft they approved Saturday, does anyone know whether the Commission determined how many City Council candidates will move from the primary election to the general?

[Hypestyles]

... attended the "last" meeting before the next go-round, I hope the submission clears the governor's office, so a vote can take place in August or November..

[MsChievous]

An open email:

I don't usually respond to articles, postings and rumors about myself in relation to the charter commission's activities but I find that I must defend myself. I've heard it said [[& saw in newsprint) that I was not 'in the room' when the charter commission voted to send the final document to the governor of the State of Michigan. That is a blatant lie. If you attended the Saturday, May 28th Charter Commission meeting, you saw and heard me cast the very first vote to transmit the document to Governor Snyder. If you were not at the meeting, video is available that will validate my assertions. Votes are taken alphabetically, so I was always the first to vote on issues brought before us.

Those who know me, know that I have never been in the habit of holding back when it comes to my beliefs and my integrity. They also know that I would not leave the room to avoid a strategic vote. If you believe anything else, then you really don't know me. That's not how I served the citizens of Detroit in the past and becoming an elected official did not change my integrity, my morals or my dedication to duty.

Let me make myself perfectly clear: over the last year and a half, the commission has discussed and voted on many items. I agreed with some, disagreed with others and proposed some ideas of my own. If I thought an issue was for the betterment of Detroit and all its citizens, I voted to support. If I believed the opposite, I voted to reject. There was no in-between. Some of the ideas I supported were approved while others were rejected; that's the democratic process that we abide by.

Does the final document contain ideas, plans and proposals that will move this city forward? Absolutely yes. Does the final document contain everything that I think is good for, or needed in the city of Detroit? Absolutely not. But that too, is a part of the process.

We don't get every change that we want yet we hope that the changes we do get serve the best interests of all our citizens. But the final decision will be made by the voters of the city and I will abide by their decision, as I have in the past.

I just want to set the record straight on my votes and my voting habits.

Cara

[Richard]

What I find baffling is that Detroit has been around how long and they are just now thinking about these?

Other changes in the charter include:
— Creating an inspector general post for a six-year non-renewable term to ferret out waste, abuse, fraud and corruption.
— Requiring elected officials to live in the city for one year before running for office to help them understand the unique needs faced by communities across the city.
— Creating a supplemental campaign fund to expand participation across the city, end corruption and "create opportunities where average citizens can reasonably overcome financial impediments associated with campaigning."
— Requiring lobbyists and businesses to disclose relationships with city officials and any solicitation of donations in exchange for political favors.
— Limiting the type and value of gifts received by city officials.
— Authorizing City Council to confirm mayoral appointments for heads of key departments, including fire, police, human resources and corporation counsel.


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110528/...#ixzz1O33OVUGz