Questions can be forwarded to the City Clerks Office
at (607) 274-6570 or julieh@cityofithaca.org
City of Ithaca Propositions on November Ballot
How many times have you walked into a voting booth and stared at
propositions on the ballot that you knew little to nothing about? As
you quickly scan the text, you think to yourself “I don’t remember
hearing anything about these issues”. Finally, you make an educated
guess on the topic and fill in a bubble, not really sure you made the
“right” decision.
The City of Ithaca wants to make sure that all voters understand the
issues they are voting on. This year, the City has 3 propositions on
the general election ballot, the first is in preparation for the
redistricting efforts next year, and the others are a result of efforts
to streamline and simplify the City of Ithaca Charter and Code and to
eliminate obsolete, redundant, repetitive and contradictory language.
Pursuant to New York State Municipal Home Rule Law, Common Council has
the authority to amend the Charter by Local Law. They do this on a
routine basis to ensure that the City’s legislation is consistent with
current operating procedures.
Common Council unanimously adopted local laws in March and June of 2011
on the following issues; however, approval of the voters is required
because they modify the powers and authority of either the Mayor or
Common Council.
Please look for these important propositions on the back of your
ballot!
Proposition #1: Staggered two year Council terms following Census
Issue:
Since at least 1980, following each federal census, Common Council has
tried to anticipate redistricting so that legal requirements for
population and legislative representation are met. The way it has
chosen to do this is to have those Council members elected in a year
ending in “1” receive 2-year terms. As a result, all 10 Council
seats have been up for election in the years ending in “3,” at which
time half of the seats are filled for 2-year terms and half for 4-year
terms thereby restoring the staggered terms.
Common Council considered this issue and recommended using the same
approach for 2011 and 2013 and in future years following a census. By
making this an automatic action following each census, the possibility
of having Council members elected from the same ward but representing
people within different ward boundaries and election districts would be
eliminated.
The question you will be asked on the ballot is:
Shall a local law be approved, that would amend the Ithaca City
Charter, in order to (1) establish two-year terms for the members of
Common Council elected in the general election following every 10-year
federal census (for example, in 2011 or 2021, etc), and (2) provide that
in the following general election (for example, in 2013 or 2023, etc),
two members of Common Council shall be elected from each ward - one for
two years, and one for four years?
Proposition #2: Designation and Appointment of City Officers
Issue:
There are currently 3 terms used interchangeably and at times
inconsistently regarding the appointment of City Officers in the Charter
and City Code. Common Council recommends that only two terms be used:
“appointed by the Mayor” and “appointed by the Mayor with the
approval of Common Council”. They have also recommended that the
methodology of appointment for each City officer be defined in the
“Appointment of City Officers” section of the Charter (§C-5), and
only in that section. The proposed revisions do not change who currently
has the authority to appoint any City department head; however, Common
Council has proposed a change in the appointment process for certain
Deputy and Assistant positions. There are four deputy/assistant titles
that are currently appointed by the Mayor with the approval of Common
Council. Council has proposed that the respective department heads be
given the authority to appoint these positions, so that all deputies and
assistants are appointed by the same process.
There is outdated language in the Charter that needs to be removed as
it is inconsistent with other laws and practices.. For example, a
referendum was approved by the voters in 1997 giving the Police Chief
the authority to appoint and remove all subordinate police officers;
however, when that language was enacted, an older section of the Charter
was overlooked and not repealed that gave the Mayor those same
authorities. This proposition deletes the contradictory language and
maintains the Police Chief's authorities. Similarly, outdated language
in the Charter gives the Board of Public Works and the Board of Fire
Commissioners the authority to prescribe the duties of the respective
department heads and also gives the Superintendent of Public Works and
the Fire Chief the authority to fix the compensation of staff. In
another section of the Charter, it states that the Mayor is the
supervisor of all department heads and, as such, prescribes the duties
of the department heads within the parameters of their respective job
descriptions. All salaries are established through negotiated labor
contracts which are ratified by the respective unions and Common
Council. This proposition will remove the outdated and contradictory
language.
The question you will be asked on the ballot is:
Shall a local law be approved, that would amend the Ithaca City Charter
and Code, in order to (1) clarify and simplify the descriptions of the
positions of various, appointed City officers (primarily, the heads of
City departments), (2) remove Charter language that grants authority to
or places constraints upon certain department heads that are
inconsistent with State law and/or best practices, and (3) provide for
the appointment of deputy and assistant department heads by their
respective department heads, rather than by the
Mayor?
Proposition #3: Basic Authorities of Department Heads and Deputies
Issue:
Currently, there is a wide variation in whether, how and where
the authorities of department heads and deputies are delegated and
described in the City Charter and Code. Some positions have expansive
definitions that include minor details about daily work duties; other
positions are not mentioned at all. The proposed changes to the
Charter will consolidate the basic authorities and responsibilities
inherent in all department head and deputy positions into one section.
This proposition is required because of the new authority of 4
Department Heads to appoint their Deputy or Assistant positions as
opposed to the Mayor with the approval of Common Council if Proposition
#2 is approved.
The question you will be asked on the ballot is:
Shall a local law be approved, that would amend the Ithaca City
Charter, in order to (1) provide a single, consistent description of the
general authority and duties of the City’s various department heads
– including their power to appoint and discipline all departmental
employees, and (2) create a streamlined description of the general role
of the City’s deputy and assistant department
heads?
You can find more information, including the full text of the Local
Laws adopted by Common Council regarding these propositions on the
City’s website, www.cityofithaca.org
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