Supporters of a City Charter Commission circulated a mailer that claims, “A YES vote (on the charter issue)…. PUTS control of local government in our hands (emphasis added)…”, but whose hands are they referring to?  Clearly NOT “we, the people”, the citizens of Mount Vernon.  It’s City Council. These are changes a charter could bring:

• Appointment and control of the Law Director by City Council.  Currently, the law director is elected by the people who have the power to re-elect or remove that person from office based on his or her performance as determined by the people.  POWER TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE AND GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL.

• Appointment and control of a City Fiscal Officer (replacing our treasurer and/or auditor) by City Council.  Currently, both the Treasurer and Auditor are elected by the people who have the power to re-elect or remove those individuals from office based on his/her/their performance as determined by the people.  POWER TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE AND GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL.

• Non-partisan elections for Mayor and or City Council, (running without a stated party affiliation, i.e. Republican/Democrat).  Not telling people which political party a candidate belongs to does not change the views and beliefs held by that candidate, or what he or she will do once they get into office.  It just hides that information from the voting public.  POWER TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE AND GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL.

• Stagger Council Members terms so the entire council is not elected at the same time and or extending terms of City Council Members to 4 years.  In other words, if voters are unhappy with the direction taken by city council or if city council disregards the needs and wishes of the people, we, the people, can’t get rid of them (the council members) all at once, and we have to wait 4 years to even start the process.  There is a reason our United States Constitution provides for the entire U.S. House of Representatives, appropriately known as the “Peoples’ House” to be elected, all at the same time, every 2 years.  The same is true for our own Ohio House of Representatives.  It makes elected officials more responsive and accountable to the people they’re supposed to represent, and easier for the people to bring about change when needed.  POWER TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE AND GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL.

• The ultimate power grab.  Replacing an elected Mayor with a City Manager not elected by the people, but appointed by city council (whose council terms could be staggered and extended beyond the current 2 years, making it more difficult for the people to vote those council members out of office and, in turn, remove the City Manager council appointed). POWER TAKEN FROM THE PEOPLE AND GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL.

    Final Score:  Government 5, People 0.  So, whose “hands” are the people who support the Charter issue really concerned about? Not ours.  If options available under a Charter are adopted, will “we, the people” have more or less power? Will we have more or less control over our government, our city, our future?  Keep power where it belongs, with the people.

NO COMMISSION, NO CHARTER.  VOTE “NO” NOVEMBER 6.