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We're collecting people's letters and comments about the Centennial Home Rule Charter here in one place so you can easily read them together.
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Some elements of the charter mandated by state law
In a letter to the editor in the April 4th
Centennial Citizen Centennial City Clerk
Linda Gawlick posed questions regarding the upcoming Home Rule Charter election in Centennial.
In it, she asked was why the Centennial Home Rule Charter election could not be held with either the August primary or the November National election. The answer is that state statutes govern how the home rule charter process must be conducted. The Home Rule process must start with an election asking for voters' permission to write a charter and to elect a commission to do so. That election was held on November 6, 2007. That Election Day started the clock ticking for the commission to complete the writing of the charter in 120 days. The commission met their deadline and presented the proposed charter to City Council on March 3, 2008. Once City Council received the proposed charter, state law requires an election to be held no less than 30 and in no more than 120 days. The City Council chose June 10, to comply with state law. August or November, 2008, would not be legal.
As to why our Deputy City Clerk was made the "Designated Election Official", that again goes to state law. Local governments must designate one person as the point person to conduct elections for the governing body. Our Deputy City Clerk was designated as our official by a resolution which was passed by a vote of our City Council.
As to the choice of our Deputy City Clerk (a hired position), versus our City Clerk (elected), a City Clerk under statutory duties is not charged with being our election official. As you begin to understand this process I think most people realize that election laws are complicated and can dramatically affect the trust our citizens have in their government. Our full-time position of Deputy City Clerk requires a high level of knowledge, training, certifications and experience to conduct a fair, honest and efficient election for Centennial.
As Ms. Gawlick pointed out, transparency is essential to good government but I also believe accuracy is as well. I believe we have both with most of our elected officials.
Susan Nix
Former City Council Member, Ward III
Centennial charter will improve city's bottom line
As a member of the Centennial Home Rule Charter Commission that recently completed its work drafting a proposed charter for our city, I would like to share one of the main reasons why I believe adopting this charter will greatly benefit our city. Simply put, becoming a home rule city is critical to ensuring true fiscal responsibility. As a statutory city, Centennial must currently rely on the State of Colorado to collect the city's 2.5% sales tax from Centennial businesses. As a result, an estimated 25% of that sales tax that should end up in our city's coffers to provide city services like filling our potholes and clearing our roads of snow is instead being remitted to surrounding cities or not paid to any city.
Why does collecting and enforcing our own sales taxes, rather than relying on the state, make such a difference? First, when the state collects our sales taxes, there is a 30 to 45 day lag time before the monies are transferred to our city. During that time, the state invests our money for its benefit, not Centennial's. Both the delayed receipt and loss of investment revenue on the collected taxes would be eliminated if the city has its own sales tax collection function.
Enforcement of the sales taxes owed to Centennial is another big problem. In the last three years, Centennial has requested that the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) audit 74 businesses located in Centennial that appeared to not be reporting city sales tax owed to Centennial. To date, the DOR has completed only four of those audits, netting approximately $340,000 in additional revenue for our city.
Collecting and enforcing local sales taxes is simply a low priority for the state of Colorado. The experience of other statutory cities that have transitioned to home rule indicates that we could add up to an additional $4.7 million a year to our city's general fund and that the increased revenues will be three times what it will cost our city to administer and enforce our own sales tax collection - all without increasing taxes. We would also be allowed to recoup 36 months of back sales taxes owed to Centennial.
In short, collecting more of the city sales taxes due to Centennial as a result of home rule status is actually one of the best protections for maintaining our reasonable 2.5% city sales tax rate. Please vote "yes" on the proposed city charter on the June 10th mail-in ballot to ensure that the local sales taxes that we are already paying can be used to fix Centennial potholes, clear Centennial roads of snow and install stoplights at busy Centennial intersections - not those of our neighboring cities.
Deb Armbruster
Centennial Home Rule Charter Commissioner
Charter will allow Centennial to collect tax revenues it is owed
In reply to Charles Felger:
Just prior to the formation of Centennial, Greenwood Village was beginning to take a run down Quebec and University (Holly & Yosemite) to annex the cash cow shopping strip malls along Arapahoe Rd. to include Heritage Place Shopping Center and Southglenn. (They did get the shopping malls at the Orchard & University intersection.)
Those malls would have then paid into Greenwood Village sales tax coffers with no chance of Greenwood Village ever taking over the road maintenance of the streets around those shopping malls in the neighborhoods that would remain in the county leaving the citizens of Arapahoe County with taxation without representation.
As I recall, that was what started the formation of this country! Citizens of Arapahoe County would thereafter have been shopping in Greenwood Village with no hope of any of the sales tax revenue going to take care of the unincorporated areas left behind. As a city with home rule allowing us to collect our own sales tax, WE WOULD HAVE A SAY in how our tax dollars are spent ON US. Road maintenance worth many millions of dollars is being done on Centennial sales tax.
Our property tax mill levy for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office would have been eroded. We are paying for our sheriff's services $19 million a year and that comes overwhelmingly from sales tax (through the general fund of Centennial). And a lot of sales tax is being paid by people in other cities shopping in Centennial. Sales tax helps distribute the burden of paying for services over more than just city residents and it certainly would have done so for Greenwood Village had it annexed those properties. Greenwood Village would not have annexed a single home, only SALES TAX PRODUCING commercial properties.
Home rule make Centennial able to collect the sales tax that it is owed. There are stores in Centennial currently collecting a 3% sales tax and sending it to Littleton, Englewood or Aurora instead of collecting the 2.5% Centennial sales tax and sending it to Centennial. Home rule would clean these up and charge our residents the appropriate sales tax at the same time. The State of Colorado is not doing that for us and we can only do it when we're home rule.
Wake up and smell the coffee!
Andrea Suhaka
Centennial Home Rule Charter Commissioner
Are Centennial residents any better off now?
I have been a resident of Arapahoe County for 27 years and a resident of Centennial since it was incorporated. I did not vote for the formation of Centennial, and I will not vote for the Home Rule Charter at this time. I urge the citizens of Centennial to look closely before voting for the Home Rule Charter. Let's take a look at what we had before and what we have now.
In 2001 we had Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department as our law enforcement unit and South Metro as our fire protection agency. We did not have a sales tax for unincorporated Arapahoe county. I have heard some of my neighbors say that they were "conned" into voting for a new city because they were afraid of losing police and fire protection. Most meetings held by the founding fathers assured us that the city could be run with 1.5% sales tax.
Now let's look at where we are today. We still have Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department as our law enforcement unit (the patrol cars have Centennial written on them). This is a very good department, and we should all be proud of them.
We still have South Metro Fire protection - again, a very good group of firefighters. We now have a sales and use tax rate of 2.5% plus a franchise fee on our utilities (gas, electric and cable tv) that is a cash cow to the city coffers. Please tell me how we are better off than we were in 2001?
We have the same public services that we did prior to the incorporation of the city. We have higher sales and use taxes. We have higher franchise fees. We have another layer of government that we must support, and now the city wants us to approve the home rule charter.
Let's say no to the proposed charter and tell the city government to get a few more years experience before establishing our own charter.
Charles Felger
Former city clerk: Make job a staff position
Having served in the position of elected City Clerk from May 2003 through December 2005, I support changing the position of elected City Clerk (currently a two-year term limited to three terms) to that of a hired City Clerk as proposed in the Centennial Home Rule charter. While holding that position, it became clear to me that the elected city clerk had minimal duties which could easily be done by a member of staff.
Historically and statutorily, the role of the elected City Clerk has been to take the minutes of the Council meetings and sign the documents. In this new millennium, those tasks remain the sole tasks of the elected City Clerk in Centennial at a cost of $700/month. It is my observation from numerous years of experience with related issues that those duties are administrative and that we, the citizens, do not have a political stake in who performs those duties.
Most people think of the city clerk's office as handling elections. Centennial's elections have been handled by the Arapahoe County Clerk's office and with few exceptions that most likely will continue. The Arapahoe County Clerk is an elected position but it is a full-time position with full-time pay and benefits.
The current duties of the Centennial City Clerk's office are performed by a Deputy City Clerk, who is hired and supervised by the City Manager. These duties include: custodian of the records, post the notices according to law, have knowledge of the Open Records Act, election law, the Fair Campaign Practices Act, and liquor laws as well as a myriad of other duties. Legislative changes occur routinely in each of these areas. The person who performs these duties must hold a significant body of knowledge in all of these areas and stay abreast of any changes. A hired city clerk will provide continuity and stability which are essential to that office. Hiring the city clerk also means that the City Manager would be responsible for finding the most qualified person for the job. An elected city clerk may or may not have the knowledge and experience for the position.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have served in the role of Centennial City Clerk. My views are in no way a reflection on their service and performance while holding that office, but are based on my experience and observations of having served as City Clerk for Centennial.
I support the Home Rule Charter changing the role of the city clerk to a hired position and urge voters to support the Charter in making this change.
Gerry Cummins
Former Centennial City Clerk
Centennial citizens ready for home rule
At age five,
Mozart wrote a full symphony. What if he had been told to wait until he was more mature to begin playing and writing music?
Centennial, at the age of seven, now has the opportunity to become a Home Rule City. For the past 4 months, 21 dedicated citizens carefully crafted a City Charter, which can be aguidingfoundation making Centennial truly our "City of the Future." This June, we, the citizens of Centennial, will choose whether or not to adopt the Charter.
While Centennial may be a mere seven years old, the citizens who will be voting on the Charter are not. We are not children; we are mature adults who are ready for our city to be governed by us, not by the rules set by the state legislature. We are ready to live in a city that has all of the rights and responsibilities of home rule.
To suggest that our city is too immature, young or inexperienced to take advantage of home rule is to suggest that the citizens of Centennial are somehow less mature or experienced than those in other home rule cities. Why are we, the citizens of Centennial, less deserving of the benefits of Home Rule than the citizens of Greenwood Village, or Lone Tree, or Aurora, or Littleton? Why do we, the citizens of Centennial, need our city government to be constrained by the state government, unlike other cities that have embraced self-government and self-determination?
As a proud member of the founding Centennial "Citizens for Self-determination" group, I passionately urge all voting age citizens of Centennial to read the proposed charter, ask questions, become more informed, talk with your neighbors and then on 10 June 2008, cast your vote to make Centennial your city governed by your rules.
Ian David Lamoreaux
Former president Highlands 460 HOA
Home rule charter provides citizens protection
Since Centennial was founded folks have been very fond of saying that the west half of the city has few neighborhood associations while most of the east end has them. The real fact of that statement is that, in our 12-mile long city, only the westernmost 1-1/2 miles of Centennial has few associations, west of University Blvd. And there are 2 exceptions, the Southglenn neighborhood, bordered on the east by University Blvd. has a Civic Association, while the Dream House Acres subdivision, bordered on its west by University, has none. Over 80% of Centennial has neighborhood associations. My soon to be 50-year-old neighborhood has a very strong civic association and we have I-25 on our east side.
The comment that "home rule was not in the bill of goods sold seven years ago" is also mistaken. The founding fathers did discuss including a home rule charter as part of the incorporation, but the intense opposition of the city by Greenwood Village forced them to go in another direction.
The argument that a home rule charter would "grow government" is patently false. Yes, we would probably have a few more staff members in the finance department to help with collecting sales tax (which the state revenue department can now hold on to for 45 days and thus on which to collect the interest), but the purpose of the charter is to give more power to the citizens of the city. If you will, please, read the Charter Summary document at
www.centennialcharter.com comparing the existing government to that proposed by the charter that will become abundantly obvious. Increased taxes? NO WAY! We've built into the charter the requirement for citizens to always vote on tax issues, TABOR or no.
The City Treasurer issue often has also missed the point. The Commission struggled over three meetings to try to fit an elected Treasurer into the city. It just wasn't possible. An elected, part-time official (currently at $700/month) cannot supervise a department of finance staff. There must be a paid staff member to whom those people report. Being a Treasurer/Finance Director requires a great deal of specialized knowledge in State budget law, accounting procedures, TABOR, and other requirements affecting municipalities. There are none of these requirements on the persons who might choose to run for City Treasurer. A full-time, professional staff accountable to the Mayor and City Council through the City Manager is necessary to handle these financial functions of a city. The Charter also establishes required Audit and Investment Committees with more citizen participation than currently. There are also other requirements regarding the financial management of the city.
Oh, and one final note especially to those who still think Centennial will be un-incorporated, turning down the home rule charter will not kill the city. Folks, it's here to stay and we need to have the best government, with the most protections for our citizens, possible. YOUR CITY, YOUR RULES!
Andrea Suhaka
Member, Home Rule Charter Commission
Former Centennial City Councilmember, Ward III
Home rule charter: A history and summary
Your Centennial Home Rule Charter Commission has finished its work and will be asking citizens to vote on June 10, 2008. As chair of this commission, I would like to share a few words from the charter that sum up the purpose, goals, and passion that this charter commission used to craft our document. The Charter reflects the same self-determination foundation that led to the creation of Centennial 6 ½ years ago. This Preamble reminds us of the type of government we as Centennial residents value...
On November 6, 2007, the citizens of Centennial, Colorado, voted to create a twenty-one (21) member Home Rule Charter Commission to propose a governance structure that would dissolve the current dependence on the state legislature and increase Centennial's ability to solve local issues at a local level. The government would be closer to the people of Centennial, more knowledgeable of and responsive to local needs and issues and subject to the direct oversight of its citizens.
In drafting this Charter, the Charter Commissioners studied the charters of many other Colorado cities, consulted with experts in city government, secured the opinions and views of citizens and employed legal counsel experienced in municipal law.
Commissioners assured that the following goals were accomplished:
* Governance processes will be open, transparent and responsive to the citizens.
* Elected officials will have processes that allow them to make decisions and act quickly and responsibly.
* Checks and balances will be in place to protect the citizens' right to be heard, to assure that issues are adequately researched and considered and that citizens have recourse if they disagree with decisions made by their elected representatives.
* City staff will function efficiently, effectively and professionally.
* The Charter promotes the flexibility needed for Centennial to grow, evolve and respond to future circumstances.
The vision of the Charter Commission has been to present a document that provides Centennial with a responsive and efficient government accountable to the citizens.
The Commission believes that this Charter fosters a sound and lasting government, with the optimum interests of the citizens of Centennial being paramount.
I hope you will make an informed decision on June 10 th by reading the charter, the Centennial Connection newsletter, or Charter Summary document that can be found at
www.centennialcharter.com. For more information on the effort to educate our neighbors about Home Rule, go to
www.HomeRule2008.com. Please join the charter authors and other Centennial citizens who feel that this document is an important step in Centennial's future.
Cathy Noon
Chair, Home Rule Charter Commission
Creating a home rule charter an awesome experience
I've just completed the most awesome experience I've ever had in my life, well apart from being married to my wonderful husband and giving birth to my brilliant and talented daughter.
Ten Republicans, 10 Democrats, and me and no politics. I am still not sure which party a few of the folks are. We spent 16 weeks, 4 hours a week writing the Centennial Home Rule Charter which will go to an election on 10 June.
I cannot even express the thoughts going through my mind now that this chapter has ended (but I'm sure going to try).
We all entered into this experience completely and unflinchingly. We all put our lives on hold for 120 days to have the deepest experience in self-determination a group of people can have. I was awed by the fact that a Founding Father joined us. The talent of the group was amazing, from the benevolent leadership of
Cathy Noon, to the technical expertise we found in
Dave Hanna, to the youth and fresh-faced enthusiasm of
Patrick Pratt, to the wisdom of age we of the older generation brought to the process, to the unflagging dedication of those who delved wholeheartedly into research. The depth of thoughts expressed and argued and to which we finally agreed was amazing. The continuing good humor of a group that could come to agreement at last (!) was amazing. The zeal, the e'lan, the love, the dedication, (insert appropriate adjectives here) were amazing!
This was akin to a moving religious experience. We all didn't get exactly what we wanted but I think we proved that consensus can work. I've heard it said that no committee over five people can accomplish anything. We proved that wrong.The state decreed that a Commission of 21 people must write a Home Rule Charter and I FEEL GOOD. We believed that the good of OUR Centennial was worth it.
Andrea Suhaka
Centennial Home Rule Charter Committee member
How about the truth on "Home Rule" from one council member
Three citizens wrote articles in the newspaper stating don't pass the "Home Rule Charter" because we need a city treasurer to look after the public good. All three articles sounded to me as if they had been scripted by one person. It is important to understand those that opposed the city originally are those opposing the charter - no matter what it says. And the charter actually has more limits (voting, required citizen oversight committees, etc) than leaving things "as is".
At present the city is run like a council/manager from of government, but in reality the City of Centennial is a mayor/council government.
Mayor Randy Pye chooses not to exercise his power as CEO of Centennial. If "Home Rule" passes our city would become a council/manager from of government with the council having power to hire the city manager and make policy but "empowering" the city manager to run the day to day business of Centennial. No one council member would have any more power than the other as each council member and mayor would have one vote.
The way the City of Centennial is incorporated presently is a mayor/council from of government with the Mayor acting as our CEO and the city manager is the administrator. By going to home rule, there will be citizen oversight through mandated election commission, audit and investment committees. The charter requires citizen membership on each of these to ensure checks and balances in our government.
Twenty one citizens with diverse political backgrounds hammered out a fair and effective "Home Rule Charter" for all of us. The elected Home Rule Commission put in hundreds of hours including public comments and has presented a fair and impartial document to guard and guide our city's future. I believe our citizens will support our "Home Rule Charter" for the good of our future.
I support our Home Rule for the City of Centennial.
Ron Weidmann
Centennial City Council member
You only need votes to be elected, not credentials
Once again, the issue of whether Centennial should have an elected Treasurer is making the news. The issue is the same as before: is the elected Treasurer to be considered a fiscal watchdog for the citizens of Centennial? Given the credentials of the current Treasurer, I believe that she probably does have the capability to perform that function. Unfortunately, to be elected Treasurer (or Mayor, or Council Person) all you need is votes, not credentials.
The issue seems to have regained momentum this time when the Treasurer presented an unsolicited surprise financial analysis at last week's council meeting. The analysis concerned the purchase of land and a facility to house the city's offices. My Ward III council members,
Rebecca McClellan and
Patrick Anderson, presented this possibilty in a Ward III meeting in January. I believe that council members from other wards have done something similar. The issue has also received coverage in the local press. Therefore, anyone who was paying attention should have known what was happening, and, if they had concerns or objections, could have voiced them at city council meetings or via their elected council members.
We have some well educated citizens in Centennial, many of whom would be capable of preparing their own financial analysis of the situation if they had a concern. And if they did have a concern, their analyses could have been discussed at a council meeting or provided to the their elected council members. Indeed, I suspect that Your Hub would have also been happy to publish such an independent analysis. I don't believe that we need an additional elected official to perform this function.
Why do most other Home Rule cities in Colorado choose not to have an elected Treasurer? My guess (and my personal belief) is that it is better to allow the city to hire a qualified professional to perform those duties, and to avoid elected supernumeraries. Let's keep our local government small.
Tom Kocialski
Treasurer: City needs an elected treasurer for independent oversight
The City of Centennial needs an elected treasurer/auditor who is empowered to be a check and balance over city finances.
At the Feb. 20 council meeting, I challenged a fiscal impact analysis that had been provided to the mayor and city council concerning a $4 million transaction the city was considering. The staff made several errors in their calculations to the tune of over $300,000 and there were several impacts such as loss of tax revenue and loss of investment income that were not taken into consideration. This was a good example of incorrect or misleading data presented to city council -- data that was going to be used in making a major financial decision for the city.
The reaction to my presentation took me by surprise. The focus of the mayor's response was on the method of delivery of my information not on the results of my analysis. He said I should take this information to the staff instead of waiting to present a "gotcha" at the city council meeting. I disagree with the mayor. I am accountable to the citizens of the Centennial, not to the administrative staff. The administrative staff had a duty to review their analysis, the can attack the numbers -- they don't have to attack me personally. The mayor attacked me personally but it only empowered me to work harder for the citizens of Centennial.
The Home Rule Charter Commission has heard a great deal of testimony concerning whether or not the city should have an elected treasurer. A sitting councilman stated, "I really don't see the need for an elected clerk or treasurer position in Centennial. I don't thin it insures any deeper oversight within our city. All necessary checks and balances are in place as required by law." Some people say the mayor and council are elected to represent the citizens and they can provide needed oversight. This incident serves as a good example as toe why the citizens of Centennial need an elected treasurer/auditor to be a watchdog over city finances.
The Home Rule Charter being presented to city council next month eliminates the position of city treasurer. I urge the citizens of Centennial to vote NO on this charter as it is currently written.
Susan Bockenfeld
Elected Treasurer
City of Centennial
Mayor: Treasurer's input welcome when properly submitted
This is an exciting time to be in the City of Centennial. We have just completed the work of the Home Rule Charter Commission and we are expecting to receive the final report from the City's eight-month visioning project in early April. This month, the master plan for parks, open space, recreation and trails is in the final stages of approval. Among the commonalities in these processes is the community discussion about creating a civic center presence.
At the same time, an outstanding opportunity presented itself to do just that. The Westerra Credit Union Building and an adjoining 15 acres were offered to the city well below the market value. Your City has been fiscally prudent and now has a savings account that offers us the opportunity to pay cash for this building and land, saving thousands of dollars for the taxpayers. For this purchase, we will use the City's general fund for $4.1 million and the Open Space/Conservation Trust Fund for $2.6 million.
At the February 20 City Council Meeting, the purchase of these properties was discussed in a public hearing. Integral to this discussion was the comparison of leasing costs for housing City functions as compared to owning our own building. City Council heard from a number of Centennial residents that they want the City to have its own city building and the terms of the sale were to the City's advantage.
At this same meeting
City Treasurer Bockenfeld brought forward a separate analysis that questioned some of the assumptions made by the city in its analysis. Questions from the Treasurer are always appreciated when properly submitted as defined by her statutory duties. This analysis regrettably was produced and presented well outside of the Treasurers duties and protocols as defined and amended by Council in Division 3 of the Centennial Municipal Code.
Had the Treasurer performed her duties as defined and submitted the report to the City Manager prior to the Council meeting she would have received substantive answers to her questions prior to the meeting. Her actions as taken caused several members of Council and the Mayor to question her motives as it appeared to be used as a surprise tactic to confuse the issue. Fortunately the Council had done their research for several weeks and was able to come to a unanimous conclusion that this was a tremendous opportunity and fiscally prudent action to take for the citizens of the City.
Earlier in February, the Parks and Open Space Advisory Board also unanimously approved the City's recommended approach to providing a civic center and looks forward to the design process for the parks and trail connections as well as community events on the site.
As with any decision, there are individuals that will be critical of this purchase rather than embrace the project as essential to the community. I urge anyone with questions to go to our Website at www.centennialcolorado.com to examine the information about this agreement. We would be happy to answer any questions.
Randy Pye
Mayor of Centennial
Centennial home rule is a bad idea
Establishing home rule grants the city more power to govern. With more power comes more government. With more government comes more power to control our lives. Home rule essentially creates a state within a state. Obviously, with home rule, both stewardship and execution of our local government becomes more critical and important to our wallets and way of life.
Perhaps home rule is inevitable. But before we go there, this city needs to grow up. We need to learn how to walk before we can run. The east and west sides of the city are like separate cities with separate problems, challenges, and goals. Centennial is barely seven years old. We need more time to discern who we are, and to come together based on a similar vision. We need to figure out who and what we want to be when we grow up. A recent city survey indicated that 400 or so residents want more city services, a.k.a. bigger government. Voting "No" in June on whether to adopt the home rule charter will send the appropriate message that 400 survey respondents don't, and won't, speak for 103,000 residents.
If we pass home rule now and grant our city legislators more power and more authority, we will create a set of problems that will take years to undo. This attempted power-grab is systemic of the city's current attitude that our city should behave and "...act more like an 800 pound gorilla." (Mayor Pye, City Council; Jan 5, 2008) Passage of home rule will allow the city to throw its weight around without first having the knowledge and leadership skill necessary to ensure that we won't just fall out of the tree.
Like me, you must determine whether you feel this city is ready for the additional powers home rule status would grant. Picture in your mind a teenager asking, for the first time, to borrow the keys to the family car. As you decide if this young person is ready for the responsibility of caring for the car, themselves, and others, your decision comes down to a determination of your level of trust. Do you trust your city leadership to behave responsibly with this new power?
As with driving a car, having the keys to power doesn't mean we're ready to use them wisely.
Ron Phelps
Centennial treasurer looking out for citizens
I attended the February 20, 2008 Centennial regular city council meeting and was NOT surprised by what I observed ... I have witnessed our Mayor's juvenile antics and mistreatment of those who disagree with him many times over the past six years.
In an effort to educate and caution the city council regarding various miscalculations involving the costs and savings to purchase property for a new City Hall, the city treasurer was ferociously attacked by the Mayor for daring to present, to the council, a fiscal impact analysis that was grossly different from the city staff analysis. The Mayor publicly berated our elected Treasurer,
Susan Bockenfeld, because she had the impertinence not to have presented her analysis to staff, first.
The Mayor's attacks continued even after a break in proceedings, taken to allow himself to "cool down!" Thank you, Ms. Bockenfeld for "looking out" for the Citizens of Centennial and for taking your "punishment" so professionally, you certainly handled your hostile work environment appropriately.
My question is, "Since when is an elected Treasurer accountable to staff?"
A second occurrence also didn't surprise me at all. A project originally called "Cherry Creek Centre," which was ordained in August 2002, allows a developer to build numerous residential units within the "Centennial Airport Influence Zone." As, then, CenCON (Centennial Council of Neighborhoods) Vice President, I addressed city council to strongly oppose such a development. I was assured that a considerable part of the development would be retail, a desperately needed source of sales tax. The motion passed and development started.
To date, many dwelling units have been built (in the Airport Influence Zone), but not one shovel of dirt has been turned for development of retail. At this past Wednesday night's meeting a third amendment to the August 2002 ordinance was allowed to allow further development of residences without addressing the retail stipulation! During the period leading up to incorporation of our "virtual" city it was pointed out to us that for every $1 of income taken in from the retail tax base, residential costs the city $10 per unit for services. Is this the reason that our sales tax needed to be increased a very short time after incorporation?
What would cause our city council (with the noble exceptions of
Betty Ann Habig and
Keith Gardner) to be SO in favor of such an amendment?
I have mulled over in my mind whether or not Home Rule would be good for Centennial when an estimated 179 of 271 Colorado municipalities get along very well without a Home Rule charter. I have arrived at the conclusion that Centennial isn't ready for such a big step. I recommend a NO vote on Home Rule. The Home Rule Commission has worked long and hard and I congratulate the members. The fruits of their work can be preserved until more mature city leadership takes office, provided that the City Treasurer and City Clerk remain elected positions and not positions that will serve at the "pleasure" of the Mayor. If Home Rule passes, clutch your wallets, tightly!
Vote NO on Home Rule!
Michael E. Kirrane
'Shocked by what I observed' at the Feb. 20 city council meeting
I recently attended the February 20, 2008 regular city council meeting of Centennial with the intention of watching our democratic process in action and was shocked at what I observed.
In an effort to educate and caution the city council regarding miscalculations in the costs and savings of purchasing a building to house the city offices, the city treasurer was venomously attacked by the Mayor for having the audacity to bring forward a fiscal impact analysis that challenged the staff's numbers. The Mayor went on to chastise her because she didn't "go through staff first." When she was asked why she didn't bring these discrepancies to the notice of the council sooner, it was revealed that she is not a regular member of the executive sessions. While this might be the normal way of conducting the business of government (keeping the legislative and executive branches separate), it seems to me that a prudent step to complete before spending large amounts of the city's money (read that as citizens of Centennial's money) would be to run the figures by the treasurer (elected by the citizens).
The treasurer is elected, as are the rest of the council, to be the voice and the eyes and the conscience of the people. I was completely caught off guard. It seems to me that if the Mayor wanted to be able to avoid an embarrassing encounter like the one I saw on the 20th, HE should have made certain that the Treasurer was in agreement on the figures, not the other way around. The discrepancies she raised were not insubstantial, and I felt she did the right thing by addressing this issue on the record.
When the Mayor attacked the city treasurer personally and openly questioned her motives for putting forth this fiscal impact analysis, it was clear that the Mayor had not expected to be challenged in this manner, if at all. I thought Treasurer Bockenfeld handled herself with the utmost professionalism in a very hostile and completely unprofessional scenario (on the part of the Mayor) and I for one was glad she did her job and didn't back down.
I have been on the fence about whether or not to support the upcoming home rule charter but after observing this meeting and watching the actions of the council, and especially the Mayor, I have concluded that Centennial leaders have forgotten who they serve and why. At the multitude of town hall meetings before Centennial was made a city, and in an effort to get the citizens behind the movement,
Randy Pye and others made promise after promise that the only reason we were incorporating was to stop big bad "Greedy-wood Village" (my term) from raising our taxes and annexing all the retail income. Centennial would be a grassroots virtual city that would include the citizens in their decision making and would remain a small government. Sales taxes would not go up but would stay at 1.5%. There would NEVER be a city hall building built as long as he was Mayor.
What I saw happen at that city council meeting on February 20th made me realize that although there are plenty of elected officials who have the city's best interests at heart (like Treasurer
Susan Bockenfeld) there seems to be those elected officials who will continue to tell you what you want to hear on one hand while doing something else with the other. The fiscal impact analysis that Treasurer Bockenfeld offered was directly related to a building and land purchase for the City of Centennial to GROW the government. It's not staying small, it has ceased to be a grassroots 'virtual city', sales tax technically has not gone up but there has been a 'use' tax added at 1% making the tax on a sale go up effectively to 2.5%, and of course the city government isn't technically 'building' a city hall building.. but they have bought one, and it sits on enough land to build a mirror-image of the building they are moving into.
The government appears to be on some kind of power trip and I for one am not willing to let them extend their journey by voting for the home rule charter. One of the things that the home rule charter does is abolish the Treasurer as an elected official. That means that he/she will be appointed by the Mayor and basically beholden to the mayor's bidding. Does that sound like a method of including the citizens in the decision making? I'll be voting NO on home rule, and I hope you will too.
Christopher Raab
City clerk and treasurer posts should be held by appointed civil servants
I have the highest respect and regard for everyone who runs for public office. It takes a great deal of courage to put yourself out there and let others decide whether to allow you to serve in an elected office.
I believe one of the Home Rule Charter Commission's tasks is to review and determine which offices of the City of Centennial ought to be elected and which occupied by professional career civil servants. I think the offices that carry with them policy-making power need to be elected by and accountable to the voters. Offices that involve purely administrative or ministerial functions should be held by career civil servants.
For the City of Centennial, our City Council positions and Mayor are the policy-makers. Those positions clearly should be our City's elected offices. Our City Clerk and City Treasurer only perform administrative functions. They should, therefore, be professional career civil servants.
Currently, most of the City Clerk and City Treasurer functions in Centennial are actually carried out by professional career civil servants. In Colorado the elected City Clerk and City Treasurer have largely become obsolete public offices. Although Denver recently voted to elect a Clerk and Recorder, Denver is really not comparable to Centennial because it is a combined city and county government, and its Clerk and Recorder has many additional duties than those of a City Clerk.
In fact, the only City of consequence in the Denver Metro area to have elected City Clerk and City Treasurer positions is the City of Wheat Ridge. In reality, no offense to the citizens of Wheat Ridge, Centennial is a City of much greater importance in the Denver Metro area. Wheat Ridge has a population of just over 30,000 people. Centennial has more than 100,000. None of our surrounding cities (Greenwood Village, Aurora, Lone Tree, Littleton, Parker) have elected City Clerks or City Treasurers. There is a reason for this: The offices are obsolete and unnecessary.
Comparisons have been drawn between Centennial's City Treasurer and the Denver City Auditor. This comparison is misplaced as the functions are very different. More importantly, even though Denver has an elected position called "City Auditor," Denver, like Centennial, also hires an outside auditing firm to audit its books. The Denver City Auditor does not actually perform that function. The role of Denver Auditor has always been very ambiguous in Denver's government structure. No other cities in Colorado have an elected City Auditor.
There is also a financial component to be considered in all of this. The City Clerk and City Treasurer currently receive salaries of $700 per month, or $8,400 annually, which is the same that City Council Members are paid. The Mayor receives a slightly higher monthly compensation. Combined the City Clerk and City Treasurer are receiving $16,800 per year plus reimbursement of expenses for other City activities in which they are involved. This is not a great deal of money in the scheme of things. But, preserving these 2 public offices with minimal functions probably does not make sense when you factor in other City priorities. For example, the City currently pays roughly $14,000 per day for supplemental snow removal after bad snowstorms. Eliminating these 2 offices easily covers the cost of an additional day of supplemental snow removal.
Bart Miller
Former City Council Member
Ward II
Young city should wait before taking such a step
At first blush it would seem moving from a statutory city to home rule would be in keeping with the original vision and promise of Centennial; a small, grassroots government free from the bureaucratic handcuffs imposed by the Colorado State Statutes or actions taken by neighboring jurisdictions. However, upon closer scrutiny of those same gnarly State Statutes and review of some of the actions taken by neighboring jurisdictions that are home rule, a clearer picture begins to form.
Though not explicitly articulated within the broad parameters of the proposed charter currently being drafted, Centennial government would in fact have greater ability to grow government, regulate businesses, create and expand fees and exercise powers of eminent domain just by becoming a home rule city. Because the charter is so broad, I'm not sure if even the commissioners are aware of how much additional power the government would have just by becoming a home rule city; perhaps a quick primer on how a neighboring jurisdiction zoned a piece of land for SOBs in the dead of night some three years ago might be a good place to start.
Centennial is just shy of celebrating its seventh birthday, far younger than any other city of similar size to have taken this important step, still finding its way and learning from past mistakes. In my view, a lot more discussion and disclosure regarding the details of the powers a home rule city would be granted merely by its status needs to take place.
Betty Ann Habig
Centennial City Council member, Ward I
Home Rule Charter Commission: Thoughts about the Jan. 17 meeting
1. The meeting was scheduled to start at 6:15, but was not called to order until 6:21:50 (by my highly accurate wristwatch.) Sorry about that, but I'm a stickler for starting on time. Despite the somewhat delayed start, I thought that Chairwoman
Cathy Noon did a fine job of keeping things businesslike and on track after that.
2. Of the 10 people who spoke, I was amazed that (with one brief and minor exception) the only issue appeared to be whether the charter should specify an elected or appointed Treasurer and Clerk. Yes, there was some discussion as to the various duties that might be assigned to candidates elected to these offices, but the issue seemed to be whether they should be appointed or elected.
3. I tallied 6 speakers in favor of elected officials and 4 in favor of appointed officials. I counted Mayor Randy Pye as in favor of appointed officials even though he urged the commission to have the charter maintain the status quo, in order to have a better chance of selling it to the electorate (specifically due to his concern that the electorate would not respond well to a change in these positions).
4. My take on the 10 speakers:
Most concise and to the point:
Vorry Moon
Most eloquent:
Randy Pye
Best quote:
Ron Weidmann - "The only qualification needed (by an elected clerk and treasurer) is votes."
5. I was surprised at the number of current and former elected officials who spoke. I began to believe that, perhaps because they themselves were elected politicians, that they were all going to favor an elected Clerk and Treasurer, but both Vorry Moon and Randy Pye cured me of that opinion with their opposition to an elected C & T. I was pleased to hear a diversity of opinion intelligently offered by the speakers, despite my adamant opposition to an elected C &T.
6. I only remained until 9 PM as I had a very early morning commitment on Friday, but I did hear almost 60 minutes of deliberation by the commission members. One subtle point, voiced by a few members, really resonated with me. I think the young fellow (the one who did the opening PowerPoint presentation -
Patrick Pratt) captured this thought when he said that the commission should probably take on the responsibility of explaining the charter and what's in it to the electorate before the election. I don't assume to speak for a majority of voters, but I believe that many will have to be convinced of the need to change from the status quo by voting in favor of the charter. What's really in it for the citizens? The ability to ban certain breeds of dogs from the city seems to be highlighted when pointing out the advantage of a home rule city versus a statutory city. I think it will take more than that to convince folks who would prefer not to change something that's working, and the commission could have its work cut out to help sell the charter. It would be a shame if they spent all this time and effort on it, and it was delivered to the voters without a clear and detailed list of reasons why Centennial should be a home rule city.
Tom Kocialski, PE
More government, no more benefits
When Centennial was proposed, it was to have minimal government. It has added another layer of government with no additional benefits. I opposed the establishment of the home rule commission and I will vote against the charter.
Charles Stuart
Too few making important decisions
There are too few people making too big of decisions for Centennial with Home Rule. Way too much power. I am very much against it! I also heard a rumor that they want to start a dog breed specific ban. With too few people with too much power, how do we fight changes we don't agree with?
Kerri Linehan
Why aren't Colorado State Statutes good enough?
I will absolutely NOT vote for the home rule charter, primarily due to the 1.2 Power issue.
I have two issues with this: First, we live within Colorado. Why are not the Colorado statutes good enough for us? Second, although I'm sure the city council is well meaning, the last thing we need is more red tape overhead from individuals that don't have any business making laws for us. It's bad enough having our professional legislature making idiot laws (when even they admit them to being bad laws as soon as they are passed), but handing over lawmaking for the sake of "home rule" is absurd. Centennial is already becoming more than promised (remember the sales tax issue when we incorporated), more than we were promised and more than we asked for. We don't need more government, we need less.
Jim Zapapas
Growing bureaucracy hasn't done anything for me
I am not a fan of the home rule charter..since I cannot detect yet anything that the growing bureaucracy of this new city has done for me as a resident.
I am not a "small government" Republican, so I find it amusing and ironic that it is the "small government " Republicans that are arguing for a more complex government for an area that had little but county government for years and years..
We have lived in our home for 48 years...in unicorporated Arapahoe County. ...the snow was removed; the pot holes fixed; and the Sheriff was responsive when we once needed him. social services? probably OK ...Courts...functioned well...anything else? Oh, the schools were fine...not the responsibility of county or city government
Please list the"improvements" that have been made by the new Centennial, no new taxes, "small government" people....and maybe list also their salaries in the new government jobs they have created.
Any similarity with
President Bush inheriting a balanced budget and surplus from the Democrats , and now having a huge debt, devalued dollar, and a recession....who are the fiscal conservatives after all?
Ellie Greenberg
Government 'becoming control freaks'
I believe Centennial is becoming just like every other city and control freaks over our community. If we were to remain "grass roots" we would "keep it simple". (KISS).
We could function like we had when unincorporated. We didn't want annexation by other cities and their rules but we're headed that direction anyway.
Shauna Keller
Government needs a balance of power
Personally, I am not comfortable with the direction the commission is headed. It appears to me that they want to place as much power as possible in the hands of the administrative staff. Like the founding fathers of our nation, I believe government should always maintain a balance of power with many checks and balances.
Rod Bockenfeld
Centennial citizen and county commissioner for eastern Centennial
Centennial needs the autonomy home rule will give
I support the home rule concept for the city. I will probably vote for the charter, even if I don't support all of its provisions. By establishing home rule, Centennial will have more autonomy to manage and operate its city government in many areas.
I attended a portion of last Thursday's meeting, following the public comment and through the discussion about the city clerk's role. I support an appointed or "hired" city clerk as opposed to an elected position. The city clerk should be in charge of any special elections and should be responsible to the city council. However, I believe the treasurer position should be revamped into an auditor position similar to Denver's, and it should be an elected office. The auditor could serve as a "watchdog" over city contracts, budgets and expenditures. I also support requiring a high percentage of voter signatures to place charter amendment initiatives on the ballot in the future. We have learned from state government that many and frequent amendments to the state constitution have created a situation where our elected representatives lack the flexibility to carry on effective government because of a jumble of conflicting constitutional amendments. I don't want our future elected representatives in Centennial to be faced with similar problems. We need to place more trust in our elected officials, who are always accountable to the voters in the next election.
The Home Rule Charter Commission has a lot of work still ahead of them, and I appreciate the members' time and effort on this important project for Centennial.
Mike Sutherland
After reading charter, I don't think we need it
I am against the Home Rule Charter. Colorado has 271 incorporated municipalities divided into five types of municipal governments, 87 Home Rule municipalities, two consolidated city and county, one territorial and 14 statutory cities and 167 statutory towns.
After reviewing the Charter I see no significant differences that would suggest that we need to be a Home Rule Charter. Apparently the voters in November decided by 316 votes to establish a Home Rule Charter Commission, however, this is not a mandate by any means.
Prior to the formation of Centennial the folks of unincorporated Arapahoe County were happy with the County government. The residents did not want to have another level of government formed and were forced to as a result of the greediness of Greenwood Village in their attempt to annex the tax base along Arapahoe Road.
Government officials are self serving and are predominantly interested in their own power and financial gain. Government power is best kept at a minimum with strict oversight by the public. The mayor at the time of Centennial's formation was for minimum government involvement now we are told we need to change our type of government and one thing leads to another.
Michael J. O'Brien
Looking back, Lakewood should have done things differently
Lakewood was incorporated in 1969. After 3 attempts, our city charter was passed in '83. As a part of that charter, our City Clerk & Treasurer were elected for 4-year terms.
In the late 1980's a special election made both the clerk & treasurer employees of the city and hired by the city manager. The unintended consequences of what we did, are huge. The manager eliminated the job of treasurer. We have no representative watching our money.
A City Clerk must be accountable to the citizens. The clerk is in charge of elections. It must be an independent office that answers to the citizens and the law. In Lakewood our city manager is in charge of elections because the city clerk works for him. Her salary is over $100,000 a year with benefits.
Some of the Lakewood Charter provisions that have withstood the test of time and importance include:
* Citizens will vote on every urban renewal project. The Council is the urban renewal authority. Otherwise citizens have no access to them.
*If there is a vacancy on Council, a special election will be held. Council does not appoint to fill the vacancy.
* City manager shall live in the city, no exceptions.
* City Council members must live in the district they represent for their entire term in office.
*Vote on every tax increase the city desires.
We wish we had this in our charter:
* Vote on every fee increase as well as tax increase.
* Equal access and public comment for all regular publications by the City and especially cable television/city access channel.
* All council officers rotate positions every 6 months (mayor pro tem) to make sure each council member gets an opportunity to serve. This increases transparency in government.
* The Mayor's appointments to County Boards and Commissions shall be Council members. Staff acts only as support to that appointed Council member.
* The Housing Authority should not be an autonomous board. Council must have full authority over the Housing Authority Board of Directors.
* In addition to the annual audit, it is imperative to conduct a totally independent surprise audit at least every three years of the City's income and expenses.
Always remember, you are the City of Centennial, not your government. Don't allow your bureaucracy to slowly erode and take away your involvement and authority because they know how to do it better and it will save you time. Keep in mind the unintended consequences and long term affects for your City's future. Any provision that creates transparency builds a better government and insures the trust of the citizens.
Sherry Collins
Lakewood
Commissioners are being balanced, but they must listen, too
The Charter Commissioners must carefully listen to the public - to do otherwise will be harmful to this effort. As one who began attending the commission meetings in early December, I can witness that the commissioners are trying to balance different perspectives, trying to identify their guiding principles, and trying to reach consensus on important articles for the charter.
Cathy Noon admirably chairs the commission with good, solid leadership. She chairs a panel of 21 commissioners who, coincidentally, represent 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and one unaffiliated. This panel of 21 elected citizens is trying to author a set of guiding principles that will constrain and empower our current and future city leaders. Meeting almost weekly, and often for four hours at a time, I appreciate their sacrifice, their time and their efforts.
Ron Phelps
Keep government transparent and under citizens' control
The Centennial Home Rule Charter Commission is currently debating the issues of elected, appointed or hired city clerk and whether the city treasurer for the City of Centennial should be elected and renamed auditor. I reviewed the structure of most of the City Governments in the region and found that most other cities rely on Council representation of seven or more, without elected clerk or treasurer, to provide the desired Citizen representation, control and oversight of their government. Only one or two cities have elected clerks and treasurers.
The cities without elected clerks and treasurers provide their citizens access, oversight, transparency and control of their city government through the seven to nine elected officials (Mayor and Council Members). The cities with elected clerk and treasurer face duplication of efforts and excess expense because another layer of government is added and more oversight is required to ensure they are carrying out the duties of the offices.
Therefore, I agree with the many citizens of Centennial who have written on the Charter Commission's web site that the City Clerk and City Treasurer should not be elected, nor have their duties expanded beyond the present duties. Electing these positions and expanding the job descriptions would unnecessarily increase the size and expense of City government.
There is also a Charter proposal for the removal from office of the Mayor or City Council Member that would require six votes of the city council members. The charter commission received these proposals because of a concern from a small group of citizens wanting more control of the elected city council. The City of Centennial currently has eight elected Council Members and a Mayor, charged with running the City under the scrutiny and control of the citizens. If these nine elected officials cannot do the job or be trusted, adding one or two more elected officials does not seem to be the answer. Simply put, if nine elected members of government are not trusted, electing two more only increases the number of people not trusted.
I believe the current elected City Clerk position should be removed and the Deputy City Clerk position should be renamed to City Clerk and continue with the job description which includes city government administration, election management and election oversight. Having a City employee in the position of City Clerk will ensure the office is filled by an experienced staff member with professional certifications and qualifications that will enhance the City's ability to function long term without complete turnovers every few election years. A staff member of this caliber hired by the City Manager will also make it easier, if the need should arise, to dismiss or replace the City Clerk since Colorado is an "at will" state. The ordeal of removing a former Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder from office serves as the perfect example of why we should not elect a City Clerk.
A staff member in the City Clerk's Office can perform the duties and responsibilities of the currently elected City Clerk. The current elected city clerk position is responsible for recording, posting the City Council minutes, reading the resolutions, proclamations and the required portions of the minutes and the meeting agendas.
It is my recommendation to remove the position of City Treasurer and allow the Director of Finance position to fulfill the current duties as stated in the job descriptions of both City Treasurer and Director of Finance. The same logic of continuity by an experienced staff member with professional certifications and qualifications, in an "at will" state, apply and it enhances the function and image of the office and the City. A position of auditor for the City of Centennial is not needed. Colorado State Statutes require that an annual audit be conducted, and this requirement is currently fulfilled by contracting an impartial, outside of government, accounting firm. To have an elected auditor will be redundant and increase the size and expen se of city government in Centennial.
I give my sincere thanks to the Centennial Home Rule Charter Commissioners for their service and dedication to our wonderful city. My thoughts are offered in the hope of assisting them in this very important task that they have so willingly undertaken. Our city's future is in their capable hands. Keep our city government as transparent as possible with active citizen access and control.
Vorry C. Moon
Former Centennial City Council Member, Ward I
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No, Centennial citizens don't deserve home rule
It has been said that the citizens of Centennial deserve the city to become a Home Rule city. I and many others, based on the facts, strongly believe we don't "deserve this to happen to us" and here is why:
Proponents say that the state unfairly delays the receipt of taxes due the city. Reality is the change to home rule will have no effect on this issue. The issue can only be solved by changing the zip codes involved, thus simplifying where the tax revenue goes.
Proponents say the state has performed only 4 audits to rectify this issue. Reality is the state has performed 88 such audits, for free, and has delivered $350,000 due to the city.
Proponents say the city will have more control over the taxing and auditing process. Yet they fail to say the state currently does this for free and the city would have to create an entire tax division with expensive staffing and offices to do this on our own. Such a deal!
Proponents say there will be tighter rules regarding eminent domain, but fail to mention they can make land use decisions without notifying neighbors. They can skip public reviews of proposed land uses that negatively affect property values for home owners under the guise of economic development.
Proponents are proud to have hired a company to oversee city services including road repairs and snow removal. But fail to mention this company will subcontract for all of these services, just like the city does already. They just added another, expensive layer to the process.
The fact is we can look at the success of our city leadership since the city's inception to get a good sense for how they will manage additional power granted to them by home rule. Ask yourself, has the Centennial leadership worked to benefit the citizens?
Have we received anything more or better than when we were in unincorporated Arapahoe County? The answer thus far is a resounding no. We pay an extra layer of taxes for no more service than we had before.
Do we want to cede more power and control to a city that has yet to meaningfully deliver on
ANY of their promises? Are we ready to see our fees increased on everything we use (modeled after both Denver and Aurora)? Are we ready to turn over decision making -- cede our voice -- to an omnipotent city counsel? They will make the decisions on everything but tax increases, which are still controlled by TABOR. Fees are not controlled by TABOR.
You have to ask; do we want or need to increase the size and scope of this city's government? Are we here to make their lives better with nice city jobs and the perks that go along with them? Or is the true function of the any level of government to serve the citizens?
The proponents of this next step have only their interests, not ours, in mind. The home rule debate has been controlled by the individuals who stand to benefit most from the change. Our elected city officials and their staffs have the most to gain by this change - including gaining a lot more power.
A lot of accusations, half truths and factual misrepresentations have been thrown around during this debate. The most unfortunate aspect of this debate is how ugly it has become for those of us who are willing to risk standing up against it. Anyone who has questioned or not supported the home rule initiative has been painted as a demon or an idiot. And this is being done by elected officials and those who participated in crafting the charter. This is very unfortunate.
There are important concerns about becoming a home rule city, and an informed electorate should be able to talk about those issues without worry of threats and heavy handed tactics from the proponents.
No, Centennial Citizens don't deserve this to be done to them. Vote no on Home Rule!
Jeff Smith
Centennial Resident
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Observations from your newest City Council member
As the newest member of our City Council, I spend a lot of time listening and learning about issues, approaching each one with an open perspective. Lately, I've sought out meetings and literature presenting various opinions concerning our proposed Home Rule Charter in order to understand and experience the details of its development.
I was able to attend several Home Rule Charter meetings where I saw twenty-one of our fellow citizens research, debate and arrive at consensus on issues that ranged from renaming our Wards to how to ensure individual property rights. In those meetings, our fellow citizens, from a wide range of political points of view, participated in crafting a Charter that ensures our future. It is a thoughtful document.
We are currently a Statutory City. As a Statutory City, there are important limitations on what we as a City can do. One example is we cannot audit and collect sales taxes from businesses within our city without going through the state. Currently, the state is slow in following through with this process, and they don't have the vested interest that our city does in completely and quickly collecting those taxes, thereby increasing revenues for things such as more road resurfacing.
Under the new charter, there are changes to the voting processes used when Council passes ordinances. First, the mayoral powers would be limited; making them equal to that of all other council members, and the mayor's veto powers would be revoked. Also, the new charter has an emphasis on consensus. Voting numbers for issues around eminent domain, emergency ordinances and franchise fees have been increased to six of nine council members and emergency ordnances to seven of nine. The charter guarantees the tax payer's bill of rights (TABOR) for the Citizens of Centennial. This means that all tax increases have to be voter approved even if the state repeals their TABOR process.
If you are still unsure as to how to vote on the Charter, I sincerely encourage you to please attend one of the Home Rule Charter meetings this month where you will be provided the opportunity to have your questions answered, and your concerns addressed with facts. If you can't attend a meeting, pick up Home Rule information at your local library, City Hall, or online at
www.homerule2008.com
This is a pivotal time in our City's future. Once you explore the differences between our current system of local government and the possibilities offered by the Charter, you will realize that the issues you care about will be better funded and regulated within the framework of the Home Rule Charter.
Sincerely,
Keith Gardner
City Council Member - Ward II