By Matt Rosentreter
City Council approved language amendments to sections 7.4 and 7.9 of the city charter at the Aug 4 meeting, which will be voted on in Nov. The changes include raising the threshold for city purchases before a referendum is able to be filed from $5,000 to $25,000, as well as streamlining language regarding city ordinance petitions.
“The proposed amendments to 7.4 updates how and when elections are scheduled following a citizen-initiated ordinance that aligns the timing more closely with Michigan election law,” Acting City Manager Elle Cole said. “The amendment to section 7.9 clarifies when council actions are subject to referendum and streamlines how the processes unfold and also removes ambiguous language that could impede democratic participation.”
According to councilmember Girbach, the raised minimum in Sec 7.9 is to address the inflation that has occurred since the initial charter was written in the 1960s. Initially proposed as an increase to $50,000, Girbach put an amendment forward to reduce it to $25,000, which is also the limit on purchase approvals by the City Manager independent of council.
“In the section 7.9, it talks about purchases of less than $50,000,” Girbach said. “It used to be $5000 and I don’t know why we took it up 10 times. I’d rather, probably, put it back down to the $25,000 that’s consistent with what we actually have as authorization for the manager.”
The motion to pass the changes and put them on the upcoming ballot, including the change of language from $50,000 to $25,000, was passed unanimously.
“Services essential to the peace and safety of the city, emergency services, and purchases of less than $25,000.00 shall be excepted from the initiative and referendum procedures herein established,” the amended Sec 7.9 reads.
The potential changes to the city charter will be on the Nov 2025 general election ballot for residents to vote on.