Tonight, this article appeared online in the Register-Star: "Hudson mayor to consider commission to oversee charter change if reelected." The following is quoted from that article:
"I was going to do it for this year, but I don't want to rush it through like the previous citizens initiative did," [Johnson] said. "I would rather it start fresh and have a full quarter to dive in and look at the charter in a comprehensive way, so it would be after the November election."
The charter commission would have to consist of at least nine residents of the city the commission would be based in, who would be appointed by the mayor.How likely is it that a commission appointed by the mayor would recommend that the city transition from a mayor/council form of government to a city manager/council form?
COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK
If the following is true, the Mayor has an chance, right now, to bring our city government into the 21st Century in a truly inclusive and representative way - modeling a new form of democratic participation and civic renewal.
ReplyDelete"If the proposal is approved by voters, the city would be required to follow the Hudson Charter Change plan without changes, which would require the plan to be fully implemented by 2028. However, if Johnson decided to start the charter change commission now, the initiative would be bumped off of the ballot in November, he said."
I emailed the Mayor and Tom this morning, offering to collaborate on a charter reform process through citizen's assembly.
Peter, I support what you’re doing and believe you want to put the people first. Don’t hold your breath waiting for them, but do keep us posted on their response.
DeleteI don’t have confidence that they will support any process that they cannot control. See the soon to be revealed comprehensive plan, Kamal’s Project 2035. Hand selected committee by Tom and Kamal, meeting privately with expensive consultants, managed by the mayor’s subordinate, and alleged girlfriend. They did do a public survey, which they then dismissed because too many “wealthy white women” answered it.
I was quick to dismiss your “Citizens Assembly” idea, but agree that choosing citizens at random, without a few people in power tipping the scales, is a fair way to get insight and compromise. But outside of you getting elected and getting a council that would support it, then this voter referendum is the closest thing to letting all people have a voice.
Jack, if I read this article correctly, the mayor did not himself say that he'd be appointing all the members of such a charter commission.
DeleteLater in the article, Tom states that appointments could be made by the council or the mayor.
If I was the mayor, I'd of course love to create my own bespoke commission consisting exclusively of members known to agree with me. But I think this would run afoul of what the Hudson citizenry wants.
Hudson voters need to start writing emails now and demand that this be done in the proper ways. Send it to the mayor, send it to the council president send it to each member of the council. Post it on social media, tag elected officials, and repeat.
I am convinced that an overwhelming majority in Hudson, across the aisles, would want this to be actually inclusive. But that demands needs to be made publicly and as vocally as possible.
TvP, it is true that there several ways to do it. I’m just going by their past actions and not the promises they are making now that they feel pressure
DeleteTurns out you were not off-track after all. I feel that the few times Kamal posts something here, it's under some sort of emotional duress and as a result he writes something inadvisable.
DeleteWhy he would openly confess to preempting the result of a charter commission that he might create later (no city manager) is beyond me. How could he guarantee this if he wasn't intent on rigging the game?
TvP, they’re just very predictable. I assume the reason they are not doing it this year is because they don’t want to do the work themselves and there’s nothing in the current budget to cover the law firm or consultants they would pay to do it.
DeleteIf KJ & TdP are re-elected, this is how I predict it would go down. The comprehensive plan is a likely template. Hire a consultant firm and pay them ~$250-300k to run it, hand selected commission of people “who don’t pay attention Hudson’s government” but have ties to allied tax exempt nonprofits. Take community survey and listening sessions—ignore that data.
The charter revisions:
- Mayor and council terms extended to 4 years
- No term limits
- Strong mayor system remains
- Treasurer becomes a hired position under the mayor
- City Planner position, six-figure salary, hired and works under mayor
- Housing Justice Director becomes City Planner
Of course, this is just my milquetoast opinion ;)
That sounds about right, Union Jack.
DeleteWhy is everyone afraid of the voters? Why do they only support a process where they can hand select the deciders?
ReplyDeleteSure, the current proposal was started by a few. But the petition was signed by the many. And if approved, it will needed to be voted on by the majority. Or it will be voted down by the majority. Sounds like the closest thing to pure democracy. Or is it only democracy when we get what we want?
I know the voters in Hudson have been lacking choices these past few years and look what it’s gotten us. I’m for more candidates, more referendums, more options.
I think it's safe to say that the charter petitioners, unfairly maligned by some, were the ones that effected this change of heart in the mayor. That warrants at least some respect and acknowledgment, I think.
ReplyDeleteThe Register Star claims that members of the charter commission would be appointed by the mayor. That is one of the options but I would advise the mayor not to go this route. It will instantly cast doubt on how inclusive this commission really is.
NYDOS's manual on revising city charters instead proposes appointments of members by the mayor and each council member:
"A major consideration in determining composition, however, which may influence the size, is the type of representation desired. Representation in turn depends to a great extent on the degree of social and economic homogeneity of the community. For example, in some cities where council members are elected by wards, each council member and the mayor appoint one person to the charter commission, thereby transferring to the charter commission much the same refection of community interests as are found in the council."
[https://dos.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/09/revising-city-charters.pdf]
Peter's suggestion of a citizens' assembly is effectively the above, only potentially with more members and a more rigorous method of selecting its members via sortition.
The the current administration announced about 2 years ago that they were going to form a charter commission. But beyond generating sound bites, what have they done? Sweet fuck all. As always. There is no "there" in this administration. It's just sucking up to the powerful money interests and blowing off the actual work of governing. Whatever comes out of Kamal's most recent bloviation on this topic, it's not likely to be charter change. And it won't likely be done any time soon. "This quarter" -- the man is either delusional or just plain full of shit. Given his recent mouth noises, I lean towards full of shit.
ReplyDeleteIf I recall, the main reason they wanted to try charter reform was so that they could extend the mayor and council terms beyond 2 years. But I guess they figured it was too much hassle since they kept running unopposed. Now that the voters have options in both candidates and charter reform, a new fire has been rekindled. Despite having to put up with us loudmouths, city office must be a pretty sweet gig to want to cling on to power so badly.
Delete"I was going to do it for this year..." BUT HE HAS DONE NOTHING. The more the mayor opens his mouth the more you realize he is full of nonsense, lies, immaturity and is woefully lacking intelligence, curiosity and any interest in actually improving Hudson. Kamal found the highest paying job he has ever had, or will ever find, in Hudson and he realizes that he doesn't have to do much of anything to keep the paychecks coming even though he likely realizes that he is in way over his head and has no idea what he is doing.
ReplyDeleteI’m surprised that many were unaware of Chapter 36-A of the Municipal Home Rule Law. I have the authority to create a charter commission—comprising 9 to 15 members—that would review the charter as a whole and supersede the petition process. However, I chose not to do so because I didn’t want a rushed proposal on the November ballot.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I have never stated that I would create a charter commission. The public hearing made it clear that this particular initiative will fail. In the future, the process will be done properly—and it will not include a city manager system. As just an extra note because I won’t be responding on this platform again i find it unfair that only those who agree with the narrative set forth by gossips are allowed to be nameless but those who disagree must show face.
“In the future, the process will be done properly-and it will not include a city manager system.”
DeleteSo it will be done fair and properly, without bias… but as long as the system of government is the strong mayor system that you prefer.
Got it 🫡
Thank you, Mr Mayor, for responding.
DeleteIt was not the fact that the Mayor has the authority to create a charter commission (I emailed this information to you in June of last year).
It was the following quote, attributed to you, that you could create one now, that would bump the proposal off the ballot:
"However, if Johnson decided to start the charter change commission now, the initiative would be bumped off of the ballot in November, he said.”
Thank you calling to clear this up.
I appreciate your instinct to pick up the phone.