Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
To discuss at the December 7, 2021 Common Council meeting the results of the Spring 2021 advisory referendum election and determine whether a binding referendum election shall be authorized related to the structure of the Common Council.
Body
WHEREAS, on September 8, 2017 the City of Madison created the Task Force on Government Structure (“Task Force”) (RES-17-00714) to examine and make recommendations related to the structure of the Mayor’s Office, Common Council, and the City’s Boards, Commissions and Committees; and,
WHEREAS, after extensive study, public outreach and debate, the Task Force issued a Final Report and recommendations to the Common Council, including recommendations to institute a full-time Common Council, to reduce the size of the Council, increase terms to four years, and limit alderpersons to serving 12 consecutive years on the Common Council; and
WHEREAS, the Common Council authorized a series of advisory referendum questions be placed on the ballot for the 2021 Spring Election in order to solicit public feedback related to a full-time Council, the size of the Council, the length of Alder terms, and term limits; and
WHEREAS, the Council’s resolution authorizing the advisory referendum questions also directed that the Task Force Implementation Workgroup collaborate with the Mayor’s Office to evaluate the results of the Advisory Referendum and take the necessary steps to prepare a resolution that, if approved by the Common Council, would place binding referendum questions related to the structure of Madison’s government on the Spring 2022 election ballot; and
WHEREAS, given that the majority of voters in the 2021 Spring Election voted against questions to create a full-time Council, changing the size of the Council, increasing Alder terms and creating four-year terms for Alder, and given that such proposals significantly impact the structure of City government and are of interest to all m...
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