Iowa City charter draft nearing completion

IOWA CITY - With less than one month left before the Iowa City Charter Review Commission dissolves, the committee is nearly ready to recommend changes to the city charter.

The commission met Tuesday morning to recap the most recent public forum - held Feb. 24 - and flesh out the recommendations that will likely be voted on by the Iowa City Council either later this month or in April.

Much of Tuesday's discussion focused on the at-large and district representation on the council and the number of signatures required for initiative and referendum petitions.

Commission member Karen Kubby motioned to change the council makeup from three district and four at-large councilors to four districts and three at-large seats, arguing that doing so would allow more residents to consider running for council, add diversity to the field and potentially increase voter turnout.

'I believe what it does is open some doors, and over time someone will walk through it,” she said. 'If we make no changes, then we can expect no changes.”

However, commission member Melvin Shaw argued that issues drive voter turnout more often than specific candidates.

Ultimately the motion failed, with only Kubby and commission member Adam Sullivan in support. Commission member Karrie Craig was absent.

The commission also voted to amend proposed language that would have changed the number of required signatures for initiatives or referendums from 2,500 - a number established in 1970 - to 3,600, to represent 5.33 percent of the city population according to latest census count.

The commission's Tuesday vote eliminates the 5.33 percent language, meaning the required signatures would not fluctuate with changes in population. The increase from 2,500 signatures to 3,600 still stands.

Shaw noted that raising the required signatures would increase the public barrier to file a petition, but it would ensure there is ample support for such petitions, which have the potential to force special elections.

'There is a human cost, there is a financial cost,” Shaw said.

Sullivan said he would have preferred a lower requirement for signatures, but added he could live with the 3,600 threshold.

The vote passed unanimously.

The commission is also proposing a change in referendum petition requirements so that eligible voters can sign such documents, rather than registered voters.

The commission will meet again Monday, and, if need be, meet once more March 24 before the commission dissolves April 1.