Tucson Charter Change Coalition Seeks Referral from Mayor and Council

June 14, 2010 - PRLog -- A diverse group of community organizations and individuals dedicated to strengthening the City of Tucson’s governance structure is asking Mayor Robert Walkup and the City Council to refer charter change recommendations to voters.

The Mayor and Council will consider Charter Change Coalition (TC3) recommendations at noon Tuesday, June 15 in the Council Chambers at Tucson City Hall, 255 W. Alameda Drive. The coalition expects a decision on a referral to the ballot Tuesday, June 22.

Ron Shoopman, president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, which initiated the TC3, said it is time to allow the voters to review and update the charter, which was enacted in 1929.

“We further believe the City of Tucson’s leadership needs these tools and structure to help our city reach its full potential,” he said.

The coalition’s four proposed changes will be discussed in-depth during the session. The suggested changes include increasing the city manager’s ability to build an effective managerial team and strengthen the council’s ability to hold key staff accountable; indexing the mayor and council salaries to those of the Pima County Board of Supervisors; moving elections for mayor and council to even-numbered years, which be a cost savings and will increase voter turnout; and giving the mayor parity and an equal vote with city council members.

If the Mayor and Council vote for a referral, City of Tucson voters should see the proposed changes on their November 2010 ballot.

Previously, TC3 had considered other recommendations, including allowing the mayor and council to increase the number of wards. However, after listening to national experts on city governance and to local officials and citizens’ concerns, this proposal was among those that are not being recommended, according to Shoopman.

“All input we’ve gathered in meetings over the past 11 months has been extremely valuable and helped us craft the best recommendations possible to submit to our city government,” he said.

More than 150 people from organizations throughout the Tucson community have signed documents indicating their desire to be a coalition partner. Coalition partners represent a variety of organizations and interests, including business, nonprofit groups, environmental group and labor unions.

For more information about the upcoming, public study sessions, visit http://www.TucsonCharterChange.org.

ABOUT THE TUCSON CHARTER CHANGE COALITION (TC3)
TC3 is a fast-growing coalition of community groups and individuals in Southern Arizona dedicated to strengthening the City of Tucson’s governance structure and positioning the city and its residents for prosperity and a higher quality of life. It is a diverse coalition, committed to an open and inclusive process. The creation of TC3 was initiated by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. For more information, visit http://www.TucsonCharterChange.org or call (520) 327-7619.