Charter review commission to make 3 to 6 proposed changes

YOUNGSTOWN — Members of the city charter review commission plan to recommend city council put three to six proposed changes to the charter document on the November ballot for voters to consider.

“There will be a lot [of candidates and other issues] on the ballot, and we don’t want to have voter fatigue,” said Christopher Travers, the commission chairman. “I think three to six is reasonable.”

At their first meeting today, the seven commission members listed sections of the charter to consider for potential changes including those dealing with the powers of the mayor, council, council president, the public buildings and grounds department, the department of community planning and economic development as well as the salaries of council members and the redistricting of the seven wards.

Community planning and economic development was created by a ballot vote in 2014 while the redistricting language was changed by voters in 2012.

Any recommendations need to be approved by council before they can be placed on the ballot.

The group will meet weekly on Tuesdays the next nine weeks, then have a public-input session June 28, Travers said. That would be followed by a final commission meeting July 12, then a July 19 meeting with council to discuss the proposals with city council culminating with a July 26 meeting to give final recommendations to council.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com