[Charter-Com] Suggestion for Draft

[Gail Shorney]

As I read through the draft one thing kept jumping out at me.  We use fractions throughout the document. Many of the fractions do not equate well to a seven member council and cannot be divided by the fraction used.  I knew what was meant but the average reader might become confused.

I would like to suggest that in the definitions and terms that we define a simple majority and a super majority. The simple majority being the majority of voters present and voting. The super-majority being the number of votes needed from the entire seven member council such as," four out of seven votes in the affirmative from the entire voting council."  

Instead of using percentages, use terma such as simple or super majority. With the definitions, it will be much easier for people to understand how many votes will be required especially when the percentages are not divisible by seven.  

With that in mind, I would like to suggest further that in Article IX, Initiation, the wording be simplified such as ," such petitions are to be signed by registered voters in four out of seven districts equal to 5% of the votes cast in each district for governor in the last election."

Do we need a committee to go through the document and update all of the dates?  

Mike, the question came up about what to do with the Sheriff regarding the merit system.  I feel that we should provide an exception that would enable law enforcement and the sheriff's departments to retain their current merit system based on the nature of their requirements and the fact that they already have a merit system in place.

What does eveyone else think?

Gail


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