St. George Charter Commission Submitting Its Work to Council

The St. George Charter Commission has submitted a report to Mayor Dustin Yates and the St. George City Council detailing its recommendations. The proposed charter is expected to be posted on the city’s website, stgeorgela.gov in the next few days.

In an interview with the St. George Leader, Mayor Yates discussed highlights of the proposed charter. These include:

• A strong City Council/City Manager form of government

• The City Manager would run the government day to day. He would be hired by the Council with the approval of the Mayor.

• The City Manager could be a person or an organization.

• The City Manager would propose the city budget.

• The Mayor would preside over the City Council and could veto ordinances passed by the Council and line items in the budget.  The Council could override a veto with a 2/3rds vote.

• The Council would have seven members with two at-large and five from single-member districts.

• The charter would forbid the employment of full-time paid police officers without an amendment to the charter. Reserve officers could be hired if funded in the budget.

• The Mayor said the Charter 

Commission felt strongly that the Sheriff should be the chief law enforcement officer in the city and that if people wanted a paid police department, they should vote to do so in a referendum.

• The Mayor would appoint members of boards and commissions subject to Council approval.

• The Police Chief would be elected and would serve as head of public safety.

• The charter provides that it would automatically be reviewed at the time of each census, with the first review coming in five years and every 10 years thereafter.

• The Mayor would be able to add items to the Council agenda.

Mayor Yates said that while he was not a member of the Charter Commission, he attended and participated in the meetings.

“It was a very rewarding experience, and I enjoyed it very much.”

He said people worked well together and were able to disagree without being disagreeable.

He said the body was guided by advice from President Washington on three areas — the need for compromise and consensus, the need to insure a system of checks and balances, and a document that was flexible and could be changed.

Under state law, a charter commission can submit its work directly to the voters.  However, the mayor said the plan is for the City Council to consider the document at the regularly-scheduled Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

State law also requires that a referendum of this nature must be approved by the State Bond Commission to insure that it complies with state law.  The mayor said he anticipates the bond commission con-

sidering the matter on Dec. 12.

If the Bond Commission approves it, the proposed charter could appear on the ballot in St. George on March 29, 2025, at the same time that voters elect the Mayor, Police Chief, and City Council.  The city operates under the Lawrason Act unless and until a new City Charter is adopted.