Fort Meade amendments on ballot Tuesday would make several changes to city charter

Paul Nutcher, The Ledger
·2 min read
Fort Meade has several charter changes on Tuesday's municipal election ballot. Some are mundane changes to obsolete language. But others deal with meeting times and commissioner pay.
Fort Meade has several charter changes on Tuesday's municipal election ballot. Some are mundane changes to obsolete language. But others deal with meeting times and commissioner pay.

In Fort Meade, voters on Tuesday will mark yes or no to nine amendments to the city charter.

There will not be any candidates in this special election. Candidates for the Fort Meade posts will be chosen during its November election.

The following are summaries of the amendments to the Fort Meade city charter:

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  • The first amendment would reorganize the city charter by creating four articles and renumbering various charter provisions to better organize the document into individual sections.

  • The second updates the precise city boundary, which currently contains an outdated legal description and incorporates special acts and annexation ordinances.

  • The third updates and restates city home rule powers and deletes obsolete or provisions that are no longer consistent with state law.

  • The fourth charter amendment creates a “decennial districting commission” to review the need for redistricting, as the charter has no formal procedure to update or change municipal district boundaries.

  • The voters can decide to eliminate night meetings only and permit the City Commission to schedule its meetings at a reasonable time even if it’s not dark outside.

  • Amendment six addresses the city’s recall procedure. The current procedure varies from a statute that does not permit recall sought by an individual commissioner.

  • Charter amendment seven aligns the city’s process for budget-making with state law, eliminating the current obsolete language and inconsistent provisions.

  • Amendment eight creates a new transition provision to include a continuation of former charter provisions, preserve non-conflicting existing ordinances and provide for continuation in office.

  • The ninth amendment asks voters to change commissioner compensation from a fixed fee to allow it to be set by ordinance.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Voters Tuesday to decide on city charter amendments in Fort Meade