Town staff and Trustees cannot and will not be involved.
Home Rule is the embodiment of the principle that the best government is the one that is the closest to the people.
As an independent body, the charter commission represents citizen viewpoints and considers and recommends appropriate revisions to the charter, balancing the best interests of city government and the citizens.
By empowering local residents to design and write their own Charter, Home Rule enhances community control, interest, and involvement in municipal government.
A well-written Home Rule Charter would give the Town flexibility and control to address foreseeable changes and resident desires as they come up.
Home Rule could make changes and impacts the following areas specifically in the Town of Erie:
Currently, as a Statutory Town, the state legislature sets the parameters by which the elected Board of Trustees has authority to develop local ordinances to address the needs of the residents of Erie. Moving to a Home Rule form of government creates better efficiencies in Town operations and improves the ability to protect and preserve the community.
Home Rule municipalities have the power to make relevant legislature and exercise control over issues of “local concern” with minimal state intervention. Home Rule would give the Town more flexibility and control to address foreseeable changes and citizen desires.
93% of Colorado municipal residents live in a Home Rule community. These communities operate under a Charter written by local citizens elected to a Charter Commission.
As towns grow, they make the switch to Home Rule style governance. This is because it is important for communities of our size (and smaller) to have the authority to self-regulate.
The Town of Erie is the largest statutory town in the state based on our 30K population. The next largest statutory town is Superior with a population of 15K.
Here are some facts about Home Rule in nearby towns and cities.
Under Home Rule, Erie has the ability to choose how to raise and deploy revenue free from state mandate. Here are a few things the Commission could write in the charter:
Yes, TABOR still applies under a Home Rule Charter. Any proposed increase in taxes will still require voter approval as set forth by the voters of the State of Colorado.
There is much more information about Home Rule and the reasons to vote for or against it in Sam Mamet's "Overview of Colorado Municipal Home Rule" blog post.
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