We are in hope of inclusion of this document as part of Gresham\'s City Charter Review Committee recomendations to City Council!

1. Citizens
Recommend
to City Charter
January 31
Committee for
Inclusion in
Their 2012
Recommended
Amendments
to City Council
Strengthening citizen voice, strengthening managerial accountability, Empowering
government regulations compliance, open and transparent
deliberations by City Council through the establishment of an elected
Citizen Voice
independent city auditor. Strengthening mayor’s role by delegating and Increasing
executive authority to his position as chief executive officer of the city.
Accountability

2. Gresham Citizen Recommendations for Voice
and Accountability Amendments to City
Charter
Presentation to Individual Neighborhood Associations and Community
Organizations
Citizen recommendations to Gresham City Charter Review Committee for
changes and modifications to current and future City Charters in preparation for
their recommendations to City Council for placement on ballot in city wide
election for citizen approval. The Charter currently requires a supermajority of
60% for passage
Re-instate the Position of City Auditor as an Elected Independent
Auditor
1) Election of independent city auditor directly accountable to the
citizen community to ensure compliance by elected and
appointed officials to City Charter, Federal and State Regulations,
City Ordinances, Administrative Policy, Procedures and Code of
Ethics
2) Independent Auditor to discourage abuse of the State of Oregon’s
“Open Meetings Law” by City Council with clear statement in City
Charter forbidding rolling quorums, private discussion and
deliberations, serial emails and electronic communications
where deliberative legislative actions are taken to influence
voting prior to City Council public meeting in secret deliberation
3) Authorize in the Office of City Auditor the establishment of a
citizen competitiveness task force on fiscal accountability to
investigate potential restructuring of operating systems for
increased efficiency, effectiveness, lower costs (taxes and fees)
and citizen satisfaction. The resulting new cash flow would
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3. generate funding outside of current budget revenue stream to
build up rainy day funds and act as a “pipeline of projects”
Re-instate Citizen Voice
1) Re-instate Voting Districts
2) Reinstate Charter 50% plus 1 majority vote requirement and
eliminate “supermajority” 60% vote barrier to citizen voice
3) Authorize a Citizen process by which any action by the city that
increases directly or indirectly taxes, fees, or charges could be
referred to the voters for approval. The process provides that if
3% or more electors petition the city to have the matter
submitted to the entire electorate for approval, then the matter
would be placed before the voters
Delegating Executive Authority to the Office of Mayor
1) Mayor authorized to function full time exercising executive
authority in planning, organizing, implementing and controlling
the city’s economic development programs by leading and
representing the city in recruiting investment capital for job
creation on a sub-regional, regional, state, federal and global level
2) Mayor authorized to hire (and remove) an Operations Manager
to run day to day administration of city services, accountable to
Mayor as City CEO
3) Mayor authorized to hire (and remove) City Department Heads
4) Mayor authorized to submit City Budget to City Council for
approval utilizing Council Citizen Finance Committee’s input and
participation
5) Mayor authorized to exercise veto power on selected Council
legislative actions, with override by supermajority vote
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