Mayor Art Ward said he plans to name a new Charter Revision Commission in January that would have the power to recommend changes in the city government's blueprint.
Possible changes include expanding the City Council and making the mayor's term four years.
But the panel has the right to pursue any ideas it chooses, which is always interesting.
Before any revisions become law, they need the backing first of the City Council and then the voters.
Ward said he would like to see recommended changes on next November's ballot so the commission's timetable will be short, which likely precludes wholesale rewrites of the nearly century-old charter.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
18 comments:
It won't take the Charter Revision Commission forever to finish its work, now that Ann Baldwin is gone. Her "picking fly shit out of pepper" mentality bogged down this city for twenty-five years. She would not have survived a month in private practice.
Ward never like terms past 2 years, now that he is mayor he wants 4 years?
WARD should step down and let a manager take over and save BRISTOL. hOWS THAT SOUND TIM and snoop dog COCKAYNE.
Ward wouldnt either.
Since Ward has been in charge, I see work being done around the city...
what!
the council gets to name reps so there is a half a shot that there will be a good mix of people. Hopefully some will have city background and experience and lend some substance to the discussion.
Would we have wanted four years of Couture (and Kosta)?
Would we want four full years of Ward?
Hopefully this will go nowhere.
12:47,1:03,4:30,4:59 - 0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0.
Leave it the way it is. 4 years is a long time for a sucky Mayor. If the Mayor is doing a good job people will elect him/her again. Leave is up to the taxpayers, not the charter to be changed to 4 years.
Oh God. Not again.
Would you have wanted four years of Stortz?????
3:59
Better than 4 years of Ward
9:17
I like the idea of 4 years for a Mayor. In this case Ward. It gives him enough time to get things done. Two years is like wasting our tax payers money.
Ward is good to the seniors and the veterans. He is trying to solve the mess Stortz and the others left behind. Stortz let down too many people because he promised too many things to the wrong people. Well... to bad.
To me Ward is much better than the people that came to be in charge before him.
All of you know it is true...so let us try to help him make it a better Bristol instead of being on his way because he is from a different political party. He has shown that he could work with people with different point of views. Enough of wasting our taxes on fights.
Let's have the people representing the different paties work with him on achieving what everyone's goal is.
Let's stop being cynical. It is time to come together and try to help him work for a better Bristol! Let us look at the big picture and do the best we can with what we got, for the benefit of the whole community.
9:17
I happen to like Stortz, but apparently I mised somethimg.
I asked before, with no answer, but I'll try again.
Just what did he promise, and to whom.
I truly would like to know.
9:42 PM Hit the nail on the head. Two years is not enough time to get things started, never mind carry anything through to fruition. A 4 year term would be much better.
Two years is enough to get things started.
If they are the right things, if they have been well thought out, if they have public and council support they will be continued.
On the other hand, four years is long enough to get too far into something that is not what is wanted or needed, and not be able to back out.
As has been posted, we can always reelect, but it is extremely difficult to remove someone mid term.
3:59
You reinforce my point!
Do we want four years of anybody, without having the opportunity to make changes if we don't!
People talk about accountability. A four year term basically eliminates that.
John Leone for Chairman of Charter Revision: that will be his reward.
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