Detroiters for Council by Districts

[sharmaal]

For the Facebookers.. http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readme...8639782&ref=ts

Donate at councilbydistricts.org

Need a Petition to sign and circulate? Follow these rules...


1. Copies of the petition must be printed on 8 1/2 by 14 paper [[Legal Size)
2. Copies of the petition must be double sided, with signature grid on one side and the ballot language on the other.
3. Only registered Detroit voters are able to sign the petition.

http://councilbydistricts.org/facts-...llot-language/

It's not a silver bullet, but it's a start.

[Fury13]

This is a very flawed proposal. By only allowing for seven districts, it assures that each councilmember will retain a lot of personal power [[not a good idea). Big districts like that also ensure that no [[ahem) "minorities" will be elected.

No, what you want are smaller districts and more of them. Have 13 or 15 districts and maybe two or four at-large seats as well. It would diminish the clout of each council member [[forcing them to form coalitions with each other), make them accountable/accessible to a smaller number of constituents, and just maybe allow for people of more varied ethnicities to get elected [[I'm referring to SW Detroit).

Chicago is three times the size of Detroit and has 50 on city council. Dividing 50 by 3 yields about 17... right in the ballpark of what I've suggested above.

[oneway]

Additional councilmembers also = +$ [[+ potential for corruption), which the City is looking at any way to trim. So why would we wish to add on to Detroit's bureacracy and payroll? Seven is a lucky number!

[jiminnm]

I find it interesting that so many here on DYes think that district elected councilfolks will improve the way that council works [[although anything would be hard not to).

In Albuquerque, councilors [[as they're called) are elected by district. Every so often, petitions get circulated to change that to all at large. They almost got enough signatures to put it on the ballot a couple of years ago. Every now and then a councilor will propose the change, but it gets voted down 5-2 or 4-3. The general opinion of those who want the change is that district representation pits various parts of the city against on another, especially in terms of capital allocation amongst the districts.

Strangely enough, many have proposed that the Albuquerque school system be broken into 4-6 districts so administration of the schools will be closer to the neighborhood level [[there are 90,000-100,000 kids in the school system).

[4real]

SWEET HALLELJAH,...
whatever works to change the idiots on the board now is alright by me.
You keep doing what you've been doing, you're gonna keep getting what you got.

Of course the council members and the minions that look to them for do nothing jobs and other benefits, [[like Conyers crooks) will cry bloody murder that this is
a bad idea because they will lose out on the gravy train and they might have to find a real job.
I say screw em, give the folks in Mexican town, far east side, or whereever, a chance to have some more pull and say in what goes down in their area, because we all know that most council members could give a rats ass what happens in the hoods.

I don't think it's flawed at all. What's flawed now is that the city can't even iron out the mess it is in with Cobo, Schools, forking over millions to people who sue the city people of the crooks running it, not 100% knowing if their "resolution vote" is valid.

"If successful, the effort would amend the current, 1997 Detroit City Charter to elect nine council members -- seven from districts and two serving at-large."

I'll print it out and get a lot of siggy's
http://cxd.hosted.thermitic.net/file...t_election.pdf

[sharmaal]

Before you print that out keep in mind these three rules....

1. Copies of the petition must be printed on 8 1/2 by 14 paper [[Legal Size)


2. Copies of the petition must be double sided, with signature grid on one side and the ballot language on the other.


3. Only registered Detroit voters are able to sign the petition.


Forms can be returned to....

The League of Women Voters Office 1420 Washington Blvd. Detroit, MI 48226 313-962-0905

[firstandten]

As much as I believe that the at-large council system should be changed, I think we should heed Mr. Henderson's article. We need to make sure this change is done right and should be thought thru or else in a few years we will be upset with the district system. We should take the time make sure the charter gives us the leeway that we need and then proceed.


http://www.freep.com/article/2009041...e+City+Council

[detourdetroit]

Henderson raises some reasonable questions, but he jumps to too many conclusions, and is wrong on several counts. He did not speak to Detroiters for Council by Districts for answers to his concerns.

The Council by Districts effort is an insurance poilcy to push the issue and make certain that the will of people is heard. It complements a good Charter Review process. It ensures that if for some crazy reason Charter Review fails in May or if the Commission does not take up the Council by Districts issue during the review process, the voters will have spoken specifically for Council by Districts...there will be no excuse to skirt it.

What's more, Council by Districts will not go into effect until 2013, more than enough time for a deliberative process to get through Charter Review the Census and District allocation.

SIGN THE PETITION!!!