Bartlesville one step closer to charter revisions election: Voters get final say in April

After months of discussions and back and forth, the Bartlesville City Council voted to approve the preliminary wording for the proposed changes to the city charter.

The future of the charter could soon be in the hands of those who show up to the polls in April. If approved by voters, it would be the first charter change since 2010.

Key revisions will impact council terms, election procedures, recall petitions and purchasing policies. The proposed changes involve Articles 2, 3, 4 and 16 of the city charter, each addressing different aspects of the city's governance.

Notably, the council terms are proposed to extend from two years to three. Additionally, these terms will be staggered to ensure that no more than two council members' terms expire simultaneously, promoting continuity in governance, according to Bailey.

Another significant change is the shift of council election dates from November to April. Bailey noted this alteration keeps the election about local issues instead of getting lost in general election politics.

Article 16 proposed revisions hope to streamline purchasing and contracting processes within the organization, according to Bailey.

The proposed changes will authorize the Council to set limits on the city manager's purchasing and contracting authority and allow staff to use purchasing consortiums approved by the Council. The city manager will also gain the authority to sign contracts within the established limits.

Debate over changes to recall

Article 4 of the charter will undergo proposed revisions to the recall petition process. The primary debate and only split vote for the night came on this issue.

The offered changes stipulate that all signatures for a recall petition must be collected within 180 days of filing with the city clerk, who is then obliged to complete their legal duties within 30 days. Furthermore, council members cannot be subjected to recall during the first or last four months of their term.

The divide in voting came over how long collected signatures would be valid once being collected.

Councilor Loren Roszel originally called the 180 days a compromise but ultimately called it a "really tough decision" and voted against the changes, citing he worried it would "limit voters' rights."

During his research of other cities' recall rules, Vice Mayor Jim Curd said that 90 days was standard and felt if a councilor deserved to be recalled, it was fair it could be done in 90 days. He noted those seeking recall should "follow through."

In a rare move, Mayor Dale Copeland made the motion himself to approve the preliminary wording for Article 4.

He agreed that "no one wants to restrict the voters" but said, "I think it is reasonable we have limits."

"Hopefully, it is obvious to everyone that we do not take these matters lightly," Copeland said. "A lot of thought and discussion before tonight."

Councilor Treavor Dorsey, Mayor Copeland and Vice Mayor Crud voted to approve the proposed changes. Councilor Billie Roane wasn't in attendance at the meeting.

After the vote, all the councilors agreed; in the end, it was up to the citizens of Bartlesville to have the final say.

Outside counsel will review these proposed changes to ensure accuracy and legal soundness.

The aim is to have these amendment changes ready for public voting in an April 2024 election, but first, the Council will vote in February on the finalized wording and call for an election.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: City council says yes to charter changes: Voters to have final say