City Charter Changes Proposed for St. Cloud

(KNSI) — St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis announced two proposed changes to the city charter on Friday.

The first change would move city elections to an odd year, citing the high number of residents who do not vote for local at-large seats in major election years. “Seventy-five percent of the people who are voting did not vote for the members who are on the city council and at-large, and they represent the whole city. So, to have a better focus, I believe that elections should be in a year focused solely on the local city elections. That’s how it used to be. So you don’t have a presidential election, you don’t have a statewide election. All you’re focusing on is the city election, which focuses on the people you’re electing, hiring to do those jobs, and it doesn’t get lost in the federal and state elections.”

Another proposed change would eliminate the City Council at-large seats and move to all wards. Currently, there are four ward representatives who cover specific areas and three at-large representatives who represent the entire city.

Kleis says it hasn’t happened yet, but three people could be elected to the at-large seats and all live on the same block or in the same neighborhood. “So, to eliminate the at-large seats and go to seven wards would distribute representation evenly by population.”

That change couldn’t happen until after the next census to reapportion the city and create wards.

Both changes would have to be approved by the charter commission.

___