A Brooklyn Center group seeking to amend the city charter and make the mayor's job full time has failed to get a question on the November ballot.
The group, Citizens for a Full-Time Mayor, had until Monday to refile after its original petition was rejected because city officials said it didn't comply with state statues.
The group said it had consulted with the city clerk before collecting signatures to ensure the original petition conformed with state statutes and was "shocked" when it was disqualified, campaign manager Stefanie Nelson said.
"We are disappointed that making changes in our community has so many barriers. However, we are extremely hopeful that through more education of our residents that change can still occur in our city," Nelson said.
Citizens for a Full-Time Mayor said it will temporarily suspend efforts to change the charter but will continue to ensure that the voices of Brooklyn Center voters are heard and will work to get an amendment on a future ballot, Nelson said.
The citizens group had collected more than 1,100 signatures over the summer with the goal of having the amendment certified and language placed on the November ballot. The amendment would have upgraded the mayor's job from part time to full time and include duties and responsibilities currently held by the appointed city manager.
Mayor Mike Elliott, who is up for re-election this year and is paid a salary of about $13,000, said he supported the change. City Manager Reggie Edwards is the city's highest-paid employee with a salary of $155,000, according to a city document posted online.
City Clerk Barb Suciu declared the petition invalid because the names of the five petitioners did not appear on all 145 pages of signatures submitted to the city. The petition also lacked a notarized affidavit on each page, and neither the full text of the proposed amendment nor a city-approved summary informing those who signed the petition how city government would change was included. The petition included only a generic statement.
Suciu notified the group on Aug. 4 that the petition didn't conform to state law and that the group had 10 days to resubmit it. The deadline was Monday.
Brooklyn Center, which has a population of about 33,000, is considered a "home rule charter city," which means citizens can adopt any form of government and modify the charter.
"The mayor of Brooklyn Center needs to be more than just a picture at events; they need to be a stronger voice for the citizens who vote them into office," Nelson said.
