Update: Troy Charter Review Commission seeks input

UPDATE (3/12/15): Tonight we held our first public hearing. Very small turnout, with just three speakers -- two from the League of Women Voters -- and only a few onlookers. Disappointing. Our next hearing, open to public attendance, will be held from 9 a.m to noon to hear input from the mayor and various departments head. During the entire process, the public is encouraged to mail or e-mail comments and suggestions (see addresses below).

(Originally published 2/17/15)

I just got home from the initial meeting of the Troy City Charter Review Commission. I'm excited.

Not that reading the 100-pages-plus of often-arcane legalese line by excruciating line is in itself a cause for excitement, but the opportunity to help update and, in some instances, redefine how our City operates is a rare one. I'm pleased to be on the Commission with eight other citizens to work in a bipartisan fashion to rid the Charter of obsolete language, modernize a number of requirements and otherwise polish up what last time around became a bone of contention rather than an instrument of improvement.

In 2008, then-Mayor Harry Tutunjian appointed a charter review commission. So did the then-City Council which as a whole was no fan of the mayor. Each came up with a set of recommended revisions, then the whole thing went to court where a judge ruled that the mayor's commission was the only one with authority to recommend changes to the voters. Its work went down in flames at the polls, soundly rejected by the people who bother voting on such things.

This time around, there is one Charter Review Commission, consisting of people appointed by the mayor and by both the majority caucus and minority caucus of the City Council, and inclusiveness was the watchword at our first meeting. The public will have numerous opportunities to provide input on proposed changes, at a public hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at City Hall; at a second public hearing to be scheduled after separate hearings involving the City administration, then the City Council, then City employees; and, in between via written correspondence addressed to Corporation Counsel (and Commission chairman) Ian Silverman at City Hall (433 River St., 5th Floor, Troy NY 12180), or by e-mail to the Commission as a whole (use the address charter-review@troycitycouncil.com).

The other seven members of the Commission are Flora Carr, Kevin Glasheen, Patrick Madden, Patrick Morphy, Jill Nagy, Kevin Vandenburgh and Ken Zalewski. As you can see, people named Patrick or Kevin are well represented. I hope as many people as possible get involved in the process no matter what their names. You can get a look at the present City Charter online.

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