There are many reasons Centennial citizens are turning out en mass in overwhelming support of passing the Home Rule Charter. Here are just eight:
1.)
Additional and earlier campaign finance report filing than currently required as a statutory city. Citizens want to know who and which organizations are funding a candidate's campaign in time to cast their vote.
2.)
More Council Members to vote in agreement; at least 5 votes to increase franchise fees and 6 votes to pass an emergency ordinance or impose eminent domain. Without the charter, council currently passes this level of legislation with only a vote of 3 or 4 council members.
3.)
A capital program for all long range city planning. Without this level of transparency provided in the charter, it's very difficult for the average citizen to learn how their tax dollars are actually being spent.
4.)
Empowering citizens to recall Council Members more efficiently than the way the city currently operates. This subject seems to have tripped a handful of people who have misinterpreted this to mean it is easier for fellow council members to "fire each other" for good cause. The charter follows current state statutes for removal of a fellow councilmember by requiring a two-thirds vote
after notice and a public hearing. In an effort for more citizen control, what the charter does do is cut the time in half that a
citizen has to wait to initiate a recall petition from the current 180 days to 90.
5.)
Safeguarding citizens by ensuring there will always be a vote of the people before any new taxes can be imposed or increased, even if TABOR is repealed.
6.) Centennial will be more able to
mandate land use for special districts and government facilities. For instance, anyone who has tried to find a parking space around
Arapho Park - owned by South Suburban - knows what this means. As a statutory city, we cannot require South Suburban to provide adequate parking for "active" uses on the park. We also cannot require appropriate access, or design and landscaping to meet our standards.
7.)
Gives citizens more control over their own city government. Currently, if citizens want to change the city government in some way that is dictated in the state statutes, they must get the state legislature to write the change into law. By passing our charter, citizens have more flexibility to propose ordinances and even initiate an amendment to the Charter.
8.)
More control over money owed the City. The question has been asked, "Why more money?" It's not about
more money - it's about collecting money Centennial citizens have
already paid. This will - among other things - help to keep our taxes low and provide more efficient city services. Currently, Centennial cannot collect its own sales tax from businesses. Since zip codes do not conform to municipal boundaries, many businesses aren't collecting Centennial city sales tax, but are collecting the higher rate of Aurora, Greenwood Village, Englewood, or Littleton and then disbursing the money to those cities.
Oh, and there is one last important reason: For those of us who look at our city leadership and have concerns because of the way Centennial has been - or is being - governed, bear in mind that all of those concerns have been generated while we have been a statutory city. Remember the definition of insanity? Doing the same old thing and expecting new results...?
Our charter offers all of us something new - something better.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to join me and thousands of other Centennial citizens to vote yes June 10 th.
Shannon M. Gish
Centennial