A Smarter Charter?
Austin could make big-city changes
By Wells Dunbar, Fri., Feb. 25, 2011
• Single-member districts: Leffingwell has spoken in favor of a 6-2-1 arrangement that would create six geographic City Council districts, with two at-large council seats, and an at-large mayor.
• Moving elections to November of odd-numbered years: If a 2012 vote passes, the city would see its first SMD council election in 2013.
• Extending council terms to four years, with no staggers: Current council terms are three years, with staggered elections: three seats up one year, four the next year, and no election the year after that. Leffingwell's proposal would make all nine seats up for election every four years and preserve the current three-term limit.
• Eliminating runoffs: Council contests currently require a majority – 50% plus one – for a winner to emerge without a runoff. The mayor proposes abandoning runoffs; winners would require only a plurality, as is the case at the state level.
• Changes to campaign finance rules: The city has a $350 individual limit (allowing for inflation-indexed increases) for campaign contributions. Leffingwell is considering a proposal that would maintain current limits for districted elections but increase the donation limit for citywide campaigns.
• A City Charter cleanup: In addition to the above charter revisions, Leffingwell is mulling a nonsubstantive "cleanup" to the charter that would delete obsolete and nullified language.
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