Iola Mayor Bill Shirley figures local residents have questions about proposed changes in how the city council will operate.
Shirley will field those questions from 4 to 7 p.m. April 19 and 26 in the Iola Municipal Courtroom at City Hall. The public is invited.
The topic will be a proposed charter ordinance that would drastically reshape the existing city council.
The proposal would set up staggered elections for council members, greatly reduce the powers now vested in the mayor’s position under the current governmental form and make the city treasurer an appointed position instead of elective.
Shirley is seeking feedback from the community on the ordinance, which would use results from the April 2013 city elections to help stagger the elections.
The proposal would allow for the top vote-getter in each of Iola’s four voting wards to serve a four-year term, while the second-place recipient would serve another two years before coming up for re-election in 2015, at which point that seat would convert to a four-year term.
The net result would be half the council would be up for re-election in odd-numbered years.
The mayor’s role, meanwhile, would go from a “strong” mayor’s position to a “weak” one, meaning the mayor no longer would have the capacity to fire and hire city employees.
The mayor would still preside over council meetings — but with no veto power — and cast tie-breaking votes in 4-4 deadlocks. Other powers would be granted by the council.
Approving the charter ordinance would require a two-thirds majority vote of council members, while allowing a 60-day protest approval period by local voters.
City Administrator Carl Slaugh said Iolans wanting to share their views also could contact City Hall at 365-4900.
