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JACKSONVILLE Jacksonville charter changes designed to be 'lean and mean,' officials say Amendments would update and modernize, officials say Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 30, 2016 at 5:50 PM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 30, 2016 at 5:50 PM » Social News Elected town officials would no longer have to be property-tax payers in the municipality if proposed charter amendments are approved by voters in the fall. Public comments on a proposed suite of charter changes will be taken when Jacksonville City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Old City Hall, 205 W. Main St. The council will decide whether the revisions should be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot. The property-tax requirement is a holdover from the 19th century, said Steve Casaleggio, a former lawyer who served on a city committee that looked at the charter and recommended revisions to the council. Under the proposal, elected officials would have to be residents of the town for a year prior to an election. “The difficulty with any document like this is that over time it tends to become somewhat obsolete,” said Casaleggio. “In combing through the old charter, we knew that we needed to improve on certain provisions. It was time to mess with it. ” A model charter developed by the League of Oregon Cities was consulted by the committee. City councilors provided input on what they would like to see in the charter and what should be eliminated, said Mayor Paul Becker. “It’s to modernize it, make it gender-neutral. Primarily what it does is define the various areas in which the city can act,” said Casaleggio. Council acts in three primary areas under the charter: legislative through ordinances, administrative through resolutions, and in a quasi-judicial mode such as during public hearings. The current charter, adopted in 1953 but amended several times, included a detailed description of city boundaries and deletion of sections of land, presumably because the landowners did not want to face lawsuits, said Casaleggio. “The modern way is to say (the boundaries) are as they exist,” said Casaleggio. “This allows the city to be in compliance with urban growth boundary rules.” The changes are designed to be “lean and mean” said Casaleggio, as the Legislature and courts are never idle and could make decisions that invalidate portions of a charter, thus requiring voter amendment. Limitations on the amount of bonded indebtedness in the old charter resulted in several voter-approved amendments. Under the proposal, the city could bond up to the amount allowed by Oregon law. Appointed positions specified in the current charter are recorder, treasurer and municipal judge, with other offices created by resolution. The proposed revisions specify that the city have an administrator, recorder, municipal judge and finance director and provides duties for those offices. “Treasurers are kind of old. They counted money and made bank deposits. You don’t have that anymore,” said City Administrator Jeff Alvis. “Financial directors are the ones who actually run the city’s finances.” A provision in the charter that allows the mayor to be a voting member of the council is retained in the revised version. Many cities allow the mayor to vote only in the event of a tie. The revisions also cover election procedures and council makeup. The current charter and the proposed one can be found on the city website at www.jacksonvilleor.us . Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 30, 2016 at 5:50 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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