Changing City Needs Your Input
If political science seems boring, think about all that the U.S. Constitution has done for human history and freedom. Governmental design can lead to responsiveness, or arrogance. Human dignity, or human suffering.
Like the U.S. Constitution, the Spokane city charter has a profound effect on local government here. Not having come from the pens of James Madison and friends (and even their work required amending), the charter could use some changes.
Spokane’s recent controversies over a strong-mayor system, city-county consolidation and neighborhood representation revealed considerable interest in a change in structure.
But no major change has won approval - so far.
Next Tuesday evening, a citizen’s group that has been studying the city charter will hold a public hearing regarding an important array of possible charter amendments.
Nothing, as far as we can tell, has been decided in advance. The 27-member “Community Partners” group, appointed by the City Council, is insistent that it’s open minded. It has enumerated several options and the pros and cons of each. It wants to hear what the people of Spokane think. It will invite public comment - first, at the hearing, and later, in telephone surveys. In April it hopes to submit recommendations to the City Council.
Here are a few of the possibilities:
Authorize the city to hire private contractors to perform services - such as garbage collection, street cleaning, computer systems management. Some cities have found this leads to better service and lower cost.
Change the requirement that city parks get 8 percent of the city budget. That 8 percent guarantee helped build Spokane’s marvelous park system. Is it enough? Too much?
Elect the City Council by district instead of at-large. This might improve representation of neighborhoods.
Change the mayor and council members from part-time to full-time jobs.
To sound off on these or other changes, go to the Champions Room in the lower level of the Spokane Arena on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Parking’s free.
Yes, the usual handful of special interests, cranks and hobbyist chatterboxes might attend. Shouldn’t plain, ordinary citizens be there, too? Go. Be heard. It’s your city.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board