Charter Study Commission ordinance adopted
In November, citizens will vote on creating a group to study form of gov't, possibly recommend change
Asbury Park is one step closer to a possible change in government.
The city council voted on Wednesday night to place a referendum on the ballot in November asking citizens if they think a charter study commission should be formed. Voters will also have the chance to vote for commission members.
If approved, the charter study commission, a five-member body, will review the city’s form of government and can make a recommendation to change to a different form. If the commission recommends a change, voters will also have to approved that at a separate referendum. The commission may also recommend no change.
The city currently elects all five council members every four years in a non-partisan May election. The mayor is selected from the council, and the primarily responsibility of the position is to preside at the council meetings. The city manager serves as the chief executive officer, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city government.
Anyone wishing to run for a spot on the charter study commission will have to collect signatures from registered voters, as a council candidate would, city attorney Fred Raffetto said. The ordinance forbids candidates from running as a group or affiliating with a political party.
The commission would “have up to nine months to complete their work,” Raffetto [pictured above] said. “At that point, the recommendation goes on the ballot for the public to approve.”
The council proposed the charter study commission after political activist Duanne Small filed a petition to change the form of government to a ward system with a directly elected mayor. State law does allow such a petition to put a change of government question directly on the ballot. However, the city found Small’s petition to be deficient and he is now taking legal action to place his change of government option on the ballot, instead of a charter study commission.
