City of Flint, Michigan FLINT BALLOT QUESTIONS FACT SHEET

Transcription

1 City of Flint, Michigan FLINT BALLOT QUESTIONS FACT SHEET ELECTION DAY - NOVEMER 4, 2014 On vember 4, 2014, City of Flint voters will have an opportunity to decide on five charter amendment ballot questions, as well as whether to establish a charter review commission. The following is intended to provide basic information about these important issues. A. What questions are on the Ballot? There are six City of Flint Charter questions on the ballot, five charter amendment ballot questions, as well as whether to establish a charter review commission. The ballot language for each question is noted below. The ballot language is a summary of the proposed action that is approved by the State to ensure it is accurate and understandable. The actual change in the Charter is also provided for information purposes where applicable. A PROPOSAL FOR A GENERAL REVISION OF THE FLINT CITY CHARTER Shall there be a general revision of the Flint City Charter? AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MAYORAL PRINCIPAL STAFF APPOINTMENTS Shall Flint City Charter 4-202(C) be amended to reduce the number of mayoral principal staff appointments from no more than ten (10) to no more than five (5)? AN AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE BUDGETARY BEST PRACTICES Shall Flint City Charter be amended to provide that the annual budget presented to City Council be accompanied by a budget message explaining the budget, providing for multi-year financial plans and revenue projections, and the establishment of a Budget Stabilization Fund? AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE FLINT CITY CHARTER SECTION 4-203, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS Shall Flint City Charter be eliminated, which would eliminate the requirement for specific executive departments? AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Shall Flint City Charter through be eliminated, which would eliminate the Civil Service Commission? AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN Shall Flint City Charter through be eliminated, which would eliminate the Office of the Ombudsman? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

2 B. What is a Charter Review Commission? A charter review commission is established in order to consider changing the form of government. Often a charter review commission will propose substantial changes to the form of government with a total revision of the Charter. However, there is no requirement that they do so. The establishment of a charter review commission is a long-term process, which is defined by Michigan s Home Rule City Act. (Act 279 of 1909, MCL 117.1, et seq.) The process entails several steps: a) First, voters must decide whether to establish a charter review commission. That is the decision Flint voters will make on vember 4, b) If voters decide in favor of a charter review commission, then candidates for the charter review commission will have a period of time to submit nomination petitions. In this case, each candidate will need to submit a minimum of 246 valid signatures. c) A second election will be held to elect nine (9) members to the charter review commission. d) The charter review commission will then meet, analyze the Charter and, after an extensive period of careful study, either propose a new charter or take no action. e) If the charter review commission proposes a new charter, it is placed on the ballot for Flint voters to decide. Flint voters will have the right to accept or reject the proposed new charter. A charter review commission has independent authority to decide if any revisions to the Charter are necessary and, if so, what revisions should be made. C. What is a Charter Amendment? A charter amendment is a modification of an existing charter section. An amendment does not modify the form of government. Rather, an amendment addresses a needed change in a particular section of the charter. Even if all of the proposed amendments are approved by voters, the City of Flint will continue to have a strong mayor form of government, with the powers of the Mayor and City Council unchanged. The current Charter has been amended numerous times since D. How did these questions get on the Ballot? The ballot questions are the culmination of months of dedicated efforts by the Blue Ribbon Committee on Governance Reform, a research and study group composed of twenty-two members, more than 75% of whom are Flint residents including Mayor Dayne Walling and Councilman Bryant lden. These residents, like many in our community, are very concerned about the future of Flint. They carefully analyzed and debated Flint s government, and considered various ways the Charter might be revised to allow the City to maintain fiscal stability and improve governance. The BRC concluded its mission by preparing a report which can be read at: The report includes numerous recommendations including, among other things, six ballot questions that were approved by the Emergency Manager to be placed on the ballot. City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

3 E. Additional Information On vember 4, 2014, Flint voters will have a momentous opportunity to shape the future of their city. In determining whether the current City Charter should be revised, they have the power to set in motion changes to a governmental structure that has existed for forty years. Voters will also have the power to amend existing provisions of the Charter. These amendments, if adopted, would modify certain functions of government, but would not change the form of government. All of the proposed amendments would benefit the financial condition of Flint. With both a charter review commission and charter amendments, Flint voters face significant decisions about their government, and careful study and deliberation are warranted. City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

4 1. Charter Revision Question A charter review commission is established in order to consider changing the form of government. Often a charter review commission will propose substantial changes to the form of government with a total revision of the Charter. However, there is no requirement that they do so. The establishment of a charter review commission is a long-term process, which is defined by Michigan s Home Rule City Act. (Act 279 of 1909, MCL 117.1, et seq.) The process entails several steps: a) First, voters must decide whether to establish a charter review commission. That is the decision Flint voters will make on vember 4, b) If voters decide in favor of a charter review commission, then candidates for the charter review commission will have a period of time to submit nomination petitions. In this case, each candidate will need to submit a minimum of 246 valid signatures. c) A second election will be held to elect nine (9) members to the charter review commission. d) The charter review commission will then meet, analyze the Charter and, after an extensive period of careful study, either propose a new charter or take no action. e) If the charter review commission proposes a new charter, it is placed on the ballot for Flint voters to decide. Flint voters will have the right to accept or reject the proposed new charter. A charter review commission has independent authority to decide if any revisions to the Charter are necessary and, if so, what revisions should be made. The question on the ballot is as follows: A PROPOSAL FOR A GENERAL REVISION OF THE FLINT CITY CHARTER Shall there be a general revision of the Flint City Charter? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

5 2. Amendment: Reduce Mayoral Executive Staff This amendment to subsection 4-202(C) proposes reducing the maximum number of mayoral principal staff appointments from ten (10) to five (5). If it passes, the Mayor will appoint fewer individuals as staff. AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MAYORAL PRINCIPAL STAFF APPOINTMENTS Shall Flint City Charter 4-202(C) be amended to reduce the number of mayoral principal staff appointments from no more than ten (10) to no more than five (5)? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

6 3. Amendment: Require Budgetary Best Practices This amendment to subsection would require that the annual budget presented to City Council be accompanied by a budget message prepared by the Mayor. The budget message would explain the budget and provide for a multi-year financial plan and revenue projections. It would also establish a Budget Stabilization Fund. This fund would be created and added to from surpluses within the General Fund. It will be used as a rainy day fund for when the City faces future economic downturns, recessions, or financial difficulties. AN AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE BUDGETARY BEST PRACTICES Shall Flint City Charter be amended to provide that the annual budget presented to City Council be accompanied by a budget message explaining the budget, providing for multi-year financial plans and revenue projections, and the establishment of a Budget Stabilization Fund? This charter amendment would add language to the Charter Sec BUDGET as follows. Sec BUDGET. Current: A. On or before the first (1st) Monday in April of each year, the Mayor shall submit to the City Council a proposed annual budget for the next fiscal year which shall begin on July 1. Add: B. The Mayor s message shall explain the budget both in fiscal terms and in terms of the work programs, demonstrating how spending priorities are guided by and adherent to the City s Master Plan. It shall outline the proposed financial policies of the City for the ensuing fiscal year and the impact of those policies on future years. It shall describe the important features of the budget, indicate any major changes from the current year in financial policies, expenditures, and revenues together with the reasons for such changes, summarize the City s debt position, including factors affecting the ability to raise resources through debt issues, and include such other material as the Mayor deems desirable. City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

7 C. The budget shall provide a complete three (3) year financial plan of all City funds and activities, with five (5) years of revenue projections, and, except as required by law or this Charter, shall be in such form as the Mayor deems desirable or the City Council may require for effective management and an understanding of the relationship between the budget and the City s strategic goals. The budget shall begin with a clear general summary of its contents; shall show in detail all estimated income, indicating the proposed property tax levy, and all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing fiscal year; and shall be so arranged as to show comparative figures for actual and estimated income and expenditures of the current fiscal year and actual income and expenditures of the preceding fiscal year. It shall indicate in separate sections: 1. The proposed goals and expenditures for current operations, detailed for each fund by department or by other organization unit, and program, purpose or activity, method of financing such expenditures, and methods to measure outcomes and performance related to the goals; 2. Proposed longer-term goals and capital expenditures, detailed for each fund by department or by other organization unit when practical, the proposed method of financing each such capital expenditure, and methods to measure outcomes and performance related to the goals; and 3. The proposed goals, anticipated income and expense, profit and loss for each utility or other enterprise fund or internal service fund operated by the City, and methods to measure outcomes and performance related to the goals. For any fund, the total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of estimated income plus carried forward fund balance exclusive of reserves. D. The City shall establish a budget stabilization fund which shall be separate and distinct from the City s general fund. Appropriations to the fund and expenditures from the fund shall be made in compliance with Act 30, Public Acts of Michigan of 1978, as amended, being MCL et seq. City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

8 4. Amendment: Eliminate Executive Department Requirements Currently, the City Charter Sec requires the City to create specific executive departments with department heads appointed by the Mayor to administer the responsibilities of the City for public safety, public works, utilities, parks and recreation, transportation including aviation, finance, community development, and environmental protection. The proposed amendment would eliminate this requirement and in the future, executive departments will be created and reorganized by ordinance, when necessary, pursuant to City policy. AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE FLINT CITY CHARTER SECTION 4-203, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS Shall Flint City Charter be eliminated, which would eliminate the requirement for specific executive departments? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

9 5. Amendment: Eliminate Civil Service Commission This amendment would eliminate the Civil Service Commission. Under the current City Charter, the Civil Service Commission provides oversight to the personnel administration of the City through a separate staff. The Commission must be staffed at all times, even during periods of financial stress. Eliminating the Civil Service Commission and addressing its functions through an ordinance would grant the City flexibility to change as City policy is shaped. In addition, eliminating the Civil Service Commission will save the City an estimated $187,643 annually. AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Shall Flint City Charter through be eliminated, which would eliminate the Civil Service Commission? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

10 6. Amendment: Eliminate Ombudsman Office This amendment would eliminate the Office of the Ombudsman from the City Charter. Under the Charter, the Office investigates grievances against City agencies. Currently, the Ombudsman s Office must be staffed at all times, even during periods of financial stress. Eliminating the Ombudsman will save the City an estimated $635,780 in each adopted two-year budget. Eliminating the Ombudsman and addressing its functions through an ordinance would grant the City flexibility to change as City policy is shaped. AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN Shall Flint City Charter through be eliminated, which would eliminate the Office of the Ombudsman? City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet

11 City of Flint, Michigan FLINT BALLOT QUESTIONS FACT SHEET ELECTION DAY - NOVEMER 4, 2014 City of Flint Law Department Flint Ballot Questions Fact Sheet