09-10-2008 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CHARTERED 470 US Bank Plaza 200 South Sixth Street Minneapolis MN 55402 (612) 337-9300 telephone (612) 337-9310 fax http://www.kennedy-graven.com MEMORANDUM TO: Gordon Heitke, City Administrator FROM: Stephen Bubul DATE: September 4, 2008 RE: Charter Amendment Ballot Accompanying this memo is the proposed resolution calling an election and setting the ballot form, for an amendment to the City Charter as petitioned by voters. At the September 2, 2008 work session, the Council directed me to prepare the ballot in a way that identified the amendment as being initiated by petition, and also to expand on the ballot question itself. I have prepared the ballot (included within the resolution) with three options for the ballot question: Option A is the language from the prior draft reviewed on September 3, which simply states the text of the amendment. Option B describes the text, indicating that the amendment would change assessment procedures from the separate procedures under the charter to the procedures under Chapter 429. Option C is similar to Option B, except that it highlights two features of the existing charter that would change—the referendum and the veto by affected owners. My recommendation is that the ballot should include either Option A or B. The difficulty with Option C is that the ballot singles out two particular features of the existing charter without explaining any of the alternative features under Chapter 429. Also, by selecting just these features (which are admittedly significant and controversial), the Council might viewed as making a statement about what is most important, rather than letting voters investigate the entire amendment and make their own decision on that point.