CHARTER REVIEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING TO DISCUSS ARTICLE 1

The public involvement process for the City of Flint Charter Review Commission (CRC) is underway and with the assistance of a citizens group of advisors, who will be involved in monthly discussion on the Charter. You don’t have to be an expert to participate, just be interested in improving your community and willing to devote a few hours a month to participate in the Charter Review Advisory Committee.

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be on Thursday, November 5, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI.

The Advisory Committee meets monthly and provides suggestions, ideas and asks questions about the Charter, they share information with the community on the Charter, and really get to know the Charter through the process.

This month, they will be discussing the Preamble and Article 1. The CRC has developed some discussion questions and would love your feedback.

1974 Charter and Proposals Submitted by the Charter Commission

The Charter Review discussion questions are the main issues in Article 1 that the CRC are evaluating right now. Each of the nine articles in the Charter are going to be reviewed in order, think of it like a “Charter Book Club” with 9 chapters where we all discuss the book together. New proposals for the Charter are being submitted by the Commissioners for review. To date there have been 19 proposals, which include the preamble and all sections of article 1. Follow along with the 1974 Charter Book here  and the Proposals Online here

Note on the dual numbering systems

• Proposal Number: The number given to a proposal when it is introduced by a Charter Commissioner at the Committee of the Whole. Proposals can be found here
• Article and Section Number: The numbering system found in the current city charter. For example Article 1 Section 604, Conflict of Interest, is noted as (1-604). The 1974 Charter can be downloaded here printed copies of the Charter booklet are also available at the Charter Review Commission meetings.

Here are the Discussion Questions for this Thursday’s meeting.

1. Commissioner Richardson has proposed a preamble that is based on the Model City Charter. It has been amended at the last Charter Commission meeting to include the original preamble components. What are your thoughts on this proposed preamble? (Proposal No. 18)
2. Proposal No. 7 (1-501) Discusses Qualifications of Appointed Officers. How do we assure appointed officials are qualified?

3. Proposal No. 11 (1-602) Discusses Ordinances Required in the Public Interest. This section includes language meant to protect the public from abuses of power and ensure ethical behavior. Section D, No. 1-10 outline specific ethics that must be followed. Are there any other items that should be added or removed? The Standards of Conduct Board mentioned in Section E has not been meeting, what should be done about this Board which has not been called to meet?

1. Proposal No. 12 (1-603) Discusses Forfeiture of Office and Removal for Cause. How do we hold our public figures accountable? And how is it enforced?

About the Charter Commission

The City of Flint Charter Review Commission (CRC) has been elected to complete the extraordinary task of reviewing the 1974 Flint City Charter and evaluating the Charter for potential changes which would be presented to citizens of Flint for approval once completed. The success of this endeavor will depend on the collaborative efforts of the CRC, the citizens of Flint, the City of Flint administration and elected leaders working together to share, listen and learn from each other.

The Charter is the foundation local government and functions as the municipal equivalent of a state or federal constitution, setting forth guiding principles for governance. Composed by citizens, a charter specifies the most fundamental relationships between a government and its community. It establishes the framework for how a local government operates in terms of its structure, responsibilities, functions, and processes. The way public officials are elected, the form of government, and the role citizens play in local government are just a few examples of the importance choices articulated in a charter.

 Get involved!

CRC invites the community to participate in the Charter Review Advisory Committee Meetings, you can fill out an interest form which can be found here https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2eL3tE50mshMDNvMjZndVVtWDA&usp=sharing as well as the agenda and minutes from the Advisory Committee Meetings.

Get involved in the Charter Review process! If you missed the Kick-Off Community Meeting in September and want to get the information that was shared you can find it here https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2eL3tE50mshY3RNNi1vRmVWcHM&usp=sharing

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FlintCityCharter/