The
Detroit Free Press gives
you ten compelling arguments to changing the city's charter and, in
another piece, lists their selected choices for the Charter Commission.
The first three arguments:
1. Voters need more protection from elected officials who
violate the charter with impunity. Kilpatrick melodrama proved even a
united City Council lacks the necessary authority to oust a rogue mayor.
2.
The current method of selecting a council president is a recipe for
disorder. Council members would be more collegial if they could select
their own leader, as the U.S. Congress and Michigan Legislature do.
3.
Council members would be more accountable if they were elected by
single-member districts. Prevailing at-large elections give
disproportionate advantage to untested candidates with high name
recognition (hence, Monica Conyers and Martha Reeves) and special
interests with wherewithal to finance expensive citywide campaigns.
Read the entire ten
here.
The
Freep's choices for the Charter Commission
here.
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