The Commission: Purpose and Scope
The purpose of the Charter Review Commission is to review the existing Charter of the City of Independence, Missouri and make such recommendations for change as the Commission may deem necessary and proper in order to amend the provisions of the existing Charter with reference to improving the mode and manner of operation and efficiency in conducting the affairs of the City and to advise the City Council on revisions which may be necessary or desirable to improve and enhance transparency and the general function of city government.
Commissioners: Total Number and Appointment Process
The Commission shall consist of nine citizens of the City of Independence, to be appointed by the City Council in the following manner: The City Manager shall solicit applications from candidates with the qualities of leadership, temperance, judgement, and interest in the governance of the City of Independence. Applicants will answer questions about their interest, their experience and how they would approach the work. Each Councilmember shall recommend three individuals from their Council District (or, in the case of the City Councilmember At-Large, from the general City population) for final consideration by the full Council. Each member of the City Council will then rank the three finalists submitted by each Councilmember, with the top finalist among each Councilmember's nominees being appointed to the Commission. The Mayor shall appoint the Chairperson of the Commission. The final two Commissioners will be selected via ranked choice voting from the remaining pool of nominees not selected in the first round of ranked choice voting. Each appointment to the committee will be affirmed by majority vote of the City Council at the August 1, 2022 City Council meeting.
Commissioner Qualifications
When selecting Commissioners, City Council officials will look for candidates with diverse perspectives who have experience championing community needs. Because it is imperative that the Commission is able to be detached, objective and impartial, any former Independence Mayor, City Councilmember, or City of Independence employee shall be ineligible to serve on the Commission. The members should a) be in touch with the perspectives present in the community; b) command respect from local residents; and c) bolster the confidence of citizens in the process and the work of the commission. At the heart of this process is the active and focused engagement of a diverse and representative group of community members. All segments of the community should be represented. No one should be excluded based on race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, disability status, veteran status, military obligations or marital status. Members of the Charter Amendment Advisory Board shall serve without compensation. Any member of the Charter Amendment Advisory Board shall be removeable at the pleasure of the City Council by a vote of at least five members of the Council, with or without cause.
Commission Focus Areas
The Commission shall consider, but not be limited to, the following areas:
1. Inclusion of a mandatory Charter review provision in Article 15 and to determine the period of time between each mandatory review.
2. Procedural changes, including changing the dollar amount above which a bond is required for a public improvement project (Section 11.6) and changing the timing of initiative and referendum elections to be congruent with the Jackson County Board of Elections (Article 7).
3. Review of the formation and operation of public utilities as outlined in Sections 3.12 through 3.18.
4. Review of the Powers and Duties of the Personnel Board (Section 3.29) to ensure consistency with state and federal law.
5. Political activities, including allowable activities by City employees (Section 5.4).
6. Administrative Departments (Article 3), to ensure maximum flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the community.
7. Campaign finance, including consideration of contribution and expenditure limits (Article 5).
8. Term limits for Mayor and City Council (Article 6.2).
Commission Timeline and Responsibilities
The Charter Amendment Advisory Board shall act as an advisory board to the City Council on matters pertaining to the revision and amendment of the City Charter. The Commission will study the City Charter, conduct hearings and make written recommendations to the City Council by August 1, 2023. The Commission shall begin its work as soon as practicable after all members are appointed, with the goal of recommending amendments within one year of the first meeting for consideration by the City Council in order to ensure that proposed amendment can be placed on the April 2024 ballot, provided that the Commission does not request additional time to complete their review or prepare their recommendations. The Commission shall outline in their final report the following:
1. The substance of any proposed amendments, revisions, or repeals to the Charter (the Proposals);
2. The policy reason(s) for each Proposal;
3. Estimated fiscal budgetary impact for each Proposal;
4. Impacts of each Proposal on existing City laws, rules, practices, and procedures;
5. Proposed ballot language for each Proposal in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter.