Ypsilanti residents narrowly approve charter amendment
Ypsilanti voters surprised elected officials by choosing to explore a general revision of the city charter.
According to City Clerk Ed Golembiewski, the proposal was approved by 98 votes. The unofficial tally had 51.2 percent, or 2,083 of residents voting in favor, and 48.8 percent, or 1,985, voting against the proposal.
Per the 1994 city charter, the question is required to appear before voters every eight election cycles or 16 years. Voters also selected a charter commission comprised of nine residents to develop a new charter.
Five residents appeared on the ballot and were selected. They were Cheryl Farmer, James Hawkins, Karen Quinlan-Valvo, John Gawlas and William Fennel.
According to an unofficial tally from the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office, voters also selected write-in candidates James Fink, Robert Doyle, Peter Fletcher and Kim Porter-Hoppe to serve on the commission. Rodney Nanney and Karen McConnell didn't receive enough votes.
The committee will have 90 meeting days to develop a new charter, or it can decide after several meetings the charter doesn't need to be changed.
No schedule or time frame is provided on when or how frequently those 90 meetings must happen. The proposed charter would then go in front of voters no less than 60 days after it was developed. If the proposed charter isn't approved by residents, then the current charter will remain in place.
All city council members publicly expressed opposition to the idea of revisiting the current charter. This is the first time since its implementation 16 years ago that voters have considered a revision, and several council members previously said there hasn’t been enough time to judge if such a measure is necessary.
Mayor Paul Schreiber said he hadn't heard of anyone who thought the charter needed a revision.
“I didn’t see it coming, this is a surprise,” he said. “I haven’t talked to anybody who has gotten in my face about why we need a new charter.”
He added he thought the current charter has many strengths.
Council Member Brian Robb previously said he thought any parts of the charter that were of concern could be addressed with a special election.
“I was stunned when I was watching that one come in,” he said. “It will be interesting to see what they do given the make up of who’s on the commission. There’s plenty of room for mischief.”
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
Midtowner
Thu, Nov 4, 2010 : 11:50 a.m.
I'd heard that both Farmer and Gawlas were advocating getting rid of the ward system so that more people from Normal Park could be elected to Council. I'm all for it! Go John! Go Sheryl!
Advance Ypsilanti
Thu, Nov 4, 2010 : 8:20 a.m.
Ypsilanti City Council previously passed a resolution setting compensation for Charter Commission as $0 per meeting. The meetings are to be held in council chambers at Ypsilanti City Hall (1 South Huron St). It would appear that virtually all the candidates that appeared on the ballot had urged a NO vote on convening a charter commission. As it stands now, the newly elected charter commission will include two members of the 1994 charter commission (Farmer, Fletcher). It would appear to be bipartisan in that there are at least 4 Republican members.
MGoYpsi
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:01 p.m.
I too, am suspect of the reason for revising the city charter, especially given the names of some of the people who campaigned to be on the commission. As I stated before, it looks like a list of former Ypsi politicians who have been voted out of other offices that want to be back in the limelight. What are there intentions? Is there a problem with the current charter? Do these committee members get paid and if so by who? What a total waste of time.
a2cents
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:57 a.m.
"... and several council members previously said there hasnt been enough time to judge if such a measure is necessary." If 16 years isn't enough time then... huh?, never mind
jns131
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:50 a.m.
Same here. Whats a charter and why do we need a new one? I agree with the mayor, mischief and mayhem. Interesting to see whats happens here.
Mark
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 6:16 a.m.
Every vote counts. I don't know why we need a new charter, but I guess we get to vote on one...