Voters to Decide Changes to City Charter: TWO HARBORS: Changes Include Cutting One Council Seat and Giving the Mayor a Vote.
Posted on: Monday, 3 April 2006, 06:00 CDT
By Janna Goerdt, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.
Apr. 3--Two Harbors residents will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to approve changes to the city's nearly 100-year-old charter.
Some of the changes are minor -- simple language housekeeping, such as eliminating requirements to remove "swill, offal, street sweepings, garbage, ashes, manure, barnyard matter and dead animals to a point beyond city limits."
That phrase was removed from the original 73-page charter.
But one major change was added: eliminating one of the seven current City Council seats and granting the mayor the right to vote on city business.
The mayor has always been in a weak position on the Two Harbors City Council. The mayor could veto council decisions but could not cast a vote.
If the changes are approved, the council would have eight voting members for a short time. The seventh council seat would be eliminated in the November elections.
The Two Harbors City Charter Commission spent several years cleaning up and slimming down the charter. The revised version is a more reader-friendly 23 pages.
The changes could have gone through without a referendum after three readings before the City Council and unanimous council approval.
But during the final reading in November, Councilor Christopher Swanson objected to the changes. He felt such an important decision ought to be left to the residents of Two Harbors.
Changes to the charter would be decided by a simple majority. If approved, the changes would go into effect 30 days after the election.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.
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Source: Duluth News-Tribune (Duluth, Minn.)
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