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Council To Hear Proposed Changes To Charter

By Kristina Johnson kristinaj@spokesman.com

Privatizing some city services and electing council members by district are among changes to Spokane’s city charter proposed by a citizens committee.

Tonight, the City Council will hear recommendations from the committee, known as Community Partners.

Council members will decide later whether to send the proposed changes to voters.

Committee members have spent the last eight months studying four areas suggested by the council: charter provisions that govern parks and commissions, civil service and unions, the initiative process and elected representation.

Tonight, the committee will recommend amending the charter to:

Allow privatization of ongoing city services as long as restrictions are negotiated with Civil Service, city administrators and affected unions. Currently, the charter allows contracting only for short-term projects.

Require legal review of citizen-proposed initiatives before signatures are gathered. Petition sponsors would have six months to gather signatures totaling at least 15 percent of the voter turnout in the last general election. The current charter has no time limit and requires signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the voter turnout.

Limit the terms of board and commission members to two three-year terms. Currently, the length and number of terms vary from board to board.

Require five council members to be elected by districts, while the mayor and mayor pro tem would be elected at large. Currently, all council members are elected citywide.

The committee also looked at changing charter sections that include archaic language, such as a passage that states city officials should hire “married men and men of family in preference to unmarried men.”

Committee members decided so much of the charter contains outdated language and hard-to-read passages that it needs not just a little rewriting but an overhaul.

The committee recommended that issue be the subject of more review.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Council retreat A council retreat to discuss the city’s strategic plan will start at 10 a.m. today in the SIRTI building, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. The council will discuss proposed charter changes during its regular meeting at 6 p.m. today in City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Council retreat A council retreat to discuss the city’s strategic plan will start at 10 a.m. today in the SIRTI building, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. The council will discuss proposed charter changes during its regular meeting at 6 p.m. today in City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.