Monroe Review

The city of Monroe's Nov. 3 general election ballot will have three proposals, including two administrative revisions to the City Charter and one millage funding request, according to the city of Monroe's website.

The revision to C-32 “Eligibility for Elective Office" of the City Charter would reduce the age of eligibility to 21, which follows the State of Michigan Constitution age eligibility requirement to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives or the Michigan Senate; would eliminate reference to the "Justice of the Peace," since that elected position no longer exists; and would remove the sentence requiring a candidate to be able to read and write the English language, since this is no longer enforceable when considering that a candidate with disabilities may have alternative means of communication. The language indicating that a candidate must live in Monroe prior to nomination will remain unchanged.

The revision to C-47 “Appointive Officers Designated; Removal” of the City Charter would eliminate the terms for the appointed office, since the City Council can remove them at any time by a majority vote. The removal language in the charter does not change. Also, the City Council has not made annual appointments for the chief of police, fire chief or city engineer for decades. The City Attorney serves at the City Council's pleasure, and the retainer agreement reflects that. Board of Review members would still follow the appointment process. Election inspectors are appointed by the election commission.

The third proposal is a 15-year mill tax increase of up to 2% to upgrade local streets and trails. The millage would raise approximately $1,880,000 annually to improve up to 35 miles of local streets in the city. Millage funds would not be used for road improvements on state highways.