Changes to Richmond’s city charter could be put off

The peace at Richmond City Hall has taken the urgency out of fixing flaws in the city charter that were at the root of legal clashes between then-Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and the City Council.

While a commission is polishing its recommendations after months of review, council members are talking about not taking amendments to the General Assembly in 2010, as planned.

Council members cite the harmony between them and Mayor Dwight C. Jones but also say they want to avoid making repeated requests to the legislature and present a united front when they do.

"They want us to come back once, and they want us to come back with our house in order," Councilman Bruce W. Tyler said.

But Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson worries that a delay could send a poor signal to the City Charter Review Commission, appointed by the council last year to help the city present charter changes to the assembly. If anything, she added, the commission should be asked to keep working.

"I don't think it's good for us to shelve work that's been done for the past year," she said. "It only means we're going to have to do it again."

John G. Douglass, chairman of the review commission and dean of the University of Richmond School of Law, said he's aware that charter changes might be put on hold but added that he's still planning to finalize the recommendations in October.

"Our job is to be an independent commission and make our best call on what changes are appropriate," he said.

Council members also are debating whether their own recommendations and those of the Jones administration should be forwarded to the commission for comment. Ultimately, the council will decide whether to embrace any recommendations.

Last week, the commission tweaked its preliminary recommendations and has scheduled a final review for Sept. 21. Among the recommendations are those that would:

• Give the council the authority to appoint its legislative staff, which would be separate from the administrative staff that reports to the mayor-appointed chief administrative officer.

• Give the mayor the authority to appoint the city attorney subject to the approval of the majority of the council. The attorney could be fired if the mayor and the majority of the council agree.

• Give the council the authority to appoint the city auditor and city assessor, subject to the approval of the mayor. The auditor could be fired if the council and the mayor agree. Initially, the commission suggested that the mayor handle both appointments subject to the council's sign-off; however, it has since endorsed having the council take the lead.

• Require the mayor to submit a chief administrative officer for appointment within 180 days of a vacancy in that office and require the council to approve or reject the nominee within 45 days. The commission initially proposed that the circuit court or some other neutral body settle any stalemate over an appointment, but it now appears to be backing away from the idea. "I don't think we can solve every political problem that arises from a charter change," commission member Robert D. Holsworth said.

• Give the mayor the authority to veto any ordinance, including ones relating to the sale and lease of land and buildings, subject to the council's override.

Jones has not commented publicly on the commission's recommendations or offered any of his own. Council President Kathy C. Graziano set a Tuesday deadline for council members to submit their proposals for charter changes.

Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or .